In the Sunshine
by Kikiam
Summary: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain'] [RuHaru] [COMPLETED]
1. A Summer Morning's Walk

Title: In the Sunshine [1/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel.   
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
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Chapter 1  
A Summer Morning's Walk  
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The streets of Kanagawa bustled that day. The people bathed in the light rays of the early morning sun that can only be seen during the month of July. The glass windows flashed glaring lights, yet the people didn't mind, since they knew that it was going to be brighter during the rest of the day. (They were thankful that it wasn't that bright yet.) At the same time the generally cheery mood washed away every possibility of irritation with the heat.  
  
Haruko Akagi stood waiting near the entrance of the subway station, her hand clinging to her bag while the other wiped the sweat falling on her forehead with a white handkerchief and tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear. She wore a light blue uniform that could be nothing else but Shohoku High School's summer uniform.  
  
"He's late again," she muttered to herself. She had been waiting for fifteen minutes already, and yet, _he_ hadn't arrived. He probably didn't understand that making a girl wait at their meeting place was something against social convention.  
  
//He is always against social convention, after all. But still...//  
  
She sighed then continued to look for the black mass of hair to pop up among the millions of others walking near the station. He wouldn't be very hard to notice, for he was quite taller than the average. A few minutes later, she heard a crash several meters away.  
  
"For goodness' sake, why are you riding your bike asleep?" asked loudly by a high-pitched voice that most probably belonged to an old woman. Many people stopped in their tracks and came to look at the commotion, except for Haruko who knew exactly what happened. She knew that he had arrived.  
  
The scene, as she knew it, was funny, or as Haruko thought. She still found it entertaining even if it happened almost every morning. She knew that, there the old lady stood, with one hand on her hips and the other pointing at a tall, high school student sitting beside his fallen bike, rubbing his back, and muttering words so inaudibly that only Kami-sama could tell if he was saying sorry or what.  
  
She remained standing at where she was. The people, which have gathered around them laughed.   
  
"What did you say, you...?!" the old woman, angered, asked him.  
  
Haruko didn't hear an answer, but she heard the people laugh again. A few moments later, the people started to disperse and she saw him approach her on his bike.  
  
"Ohayou," she greeted him cheerfully. "You're late... again."  
  
"Sorry. I overslept," he said softly as usual then biked off to park his bike. Haruko watched him intently. Afterwards, he walked towards her.  
  
"Come on, we'll be late for school," Haruko said.  
  
"Sure."  
  
After walking a few meters, Haruko decided to spark up a conversation between the two of them. It was becoming too quiet between them.  
  
"Oniichan will be coming to Shohoku tomorrow. He said he wants to see what it's like now." She thought that he would like the idea of having the ex-captain visit them, because he told her once (and for some miracle, he actually talked) that Takenori Akagi was one of the people he admired the most.   
  
"Sure." The flat voice came out as inaudibly as a pin falling on the ground. He continued to walk, looking straight ahead.  
  
"Kogure-san is coming with him."  
  
Silence.  
  
"And so is Mitsui-san."  
  
Silence, silence, except that Haruko heard a branch crack nearby.  
  
"They wanted to play a game with you guys and see how much you've improved."  
  
Silence, silence, silence.  
  
"Oh, and have I told you that Oniichan and Kogure-san won their latest game?"  
  
Silence, silence, silence, silence. Had he fallen asleep already?  
  
// Have I told you that you're not answering me? //  
  
Silence, silence, silence, silence, silence.  
  
"I can't wait to give Anzai-sensei and Miyagi-san the news. I know they'll be excited to see Oniichan, Kogure-san and Mitsui-san. And maybe Sakuragi-kun will be very excited, too."  
  
Silence, silence, silence, silence, silence, silence. A child's cry rang nearby.  
  
// Unlike you, I hope. //  
  
Silence, silence, silence, silence, silence, silence, silence.  
  
They continued to walk. Haruko decided to stop talking. She knew her efforts were futile. Even if he was glad to see the former members of Shohoku, he really wouldn't show it.  
  
// Why? //  
  
It was always like this every morning. They'd meet at the train station then walk to school together. Oftentimes, he was late and she was early, but she really didn't mind. She was the patient type of person, anyway. When there were times that he arrived first, however, she usually found him standing asleep. She couldn't tell if he was being patient or that he was just being himself.  
  
And even though they had been walking with each other to school for almost a month already, she never got used to the cold, still, silence he always gave her. It was as if something was missing, like the silence was a blank that stood between then and kept her from truly feeling what she was supposed to.   
  
As they neared school, they saw some schoolmates walking casually. A few weeks ago, when their habit first began, it was an entirely different scene. When the students saw them walking together to school, they stared and whispered. Some shouted. It was good that gossip only took a few weeks to die out.   
  
Some said they were the dream basketball couple: the basketball varsity's ace player and the ex-captain's younger sister. They said it was a match made in heaven. Some were jealous, up to the extent that threat letters were sent to Haruko. Some said that they didn't suit each other because of the contrasting personalities.   
  
Haruko said she really didn't care about what others said.  
  
And all this time, Rukawa said nothing, as always. He was never the one to show how he thought or felt.   
  
The school was its usual scene that morning. The students walked hurriedly, yet chattering with their friends, to their classrooms. Some delinquent students hung out near the entrance and gave threatening glares to whom they felt needed it. Teachers also walked around the campus, ignored until they were in the classroom. The bright sunlight made the scene typical enough to put on a postcard.  
  
As they walked further, Haruko felt uneasy, and her body slowly inched away from him. She was now in a relationship she had dreamed of for so long, yet, why didn't she seem so happy about it? She was with him, she heard words from him that she thought would never come to her ears. But then, those words were so few, so small, as if they barely had any significance. And there weren't any actions to prove those words, in fact there were more to disprove the existence of their relationship, just like their conversation a while ago. Sure, she walked with him every morning, but then, he never gave a sign that he was happy with her and with what they were doing. She wasn't expecting him to suddenly kiss her like in the movies, in fact, she didn't know what she wanted. But it was surely something, just an assurance that there was actually a relationship going on between them. Just a small sign like a dim star in a cloudy night sky.  
  
They finally arrived at the hallway of the sophomores' rooms. They weren't in the same class, so this was their point of separation for the morning.   
  
"Well, see you later," Haruko said. As she uttered those words, she waited for a small response.  
  
But as usual, Rukawa walked away without saying a word.  
  
~Tsuzuku~  
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Translations:  
» Oniichan - big brother  
» Ohayou - good morning  
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	2. Cold Lunch

Title: In the Sunshine [2/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.  
  
A/N for this chapter: The mean things Rukawa's doing to Haruko in this fic didn't happen all of a sudden. As I hope you may have noticed, these things happened everyday during the past month, except that they were lighter cases [not that mean] and quite negligible if they were done just once. The events may seem exaggerated, but I did it on purpose. Most of the events are described by Haruko's point of view, and by now, she is getting tired Rukawa's negligence of her feelings and the relationship as a whole. I wrote this explanation to avoid confusion...  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
  
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Chapter 2  
Cold Lunch  
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"Well, see you later."  
  
// So I guess that ends it for today. Oh, well, there's still lunch and training. //  
  
Rukawa sighed as he walked across the sunlit halls of Shohoku High School to his classroom. There was still five minutes before classes would begin, so many students were still hanging out near their classrooms, chattering about different things. Some ran about going after their classmates and their notebooks, some laughed out loud, while others talked giving the place a lively buzz suitable to the scene.  
  
"Ohayou, Rukawa-kun," some female classmates greeted him. He heard them, yet he gave no response and headed straight to the classroom door.  
  
"'Wonder how Haruko-chan gets along with him..." he heard others say out loud. Rukawa was glad that they didn't whisper or it would have irked him more.  
  
Rukawa put his bag on the floor and sat on his desk. He laid his head down on the wooden board and closed his eyes. There was still five minutes, anyway. He wanted to sleep as much as possible. Ever since he started that habit with Haruko, he had to wake up earlier to keep himself from getting late. Fine, he was still late most of the time, but it could have been worse.  
  
It was not that he dreaded those walks. It was actually one of his favorite parts of the day, sometimes, even more than training. It was his first time to actually be with someone, and he was glad about it. Before, he usually walked or biked alone to school, but now, he went with someone he thought was quite special. He wouldn't have admitted it himself, but he was quite happy with his present situation.  
  
For him, everything was perfect, especially her. She was cheerful and patient. She always smiled and talked to him. She was something different from the very routine and mundane life he lived just a month ago. At the same time, she also changed him a lot. He wasn't quite the same person as he was. (He still wouldn't talk much and smile, though.) But then, he learned to appreciate other things which he once thought were of no value. All he had on his mind back then was baskteball, sleeping, basketball and sleeping. However, she broadened his perspective of life. This wasn't very obvious yet, except that his mom noticed that he woke up more easily and Miyagi saw that he passed the ball more often now.   
  
// But time would come. //  
  
He wouldn't have admitted that, as well.   
  
But has she truly changed him?   
  
In addition to that, his basketball life was on the bright side. He was gaining more points with every game, and they were slowly inching to the final four, just as last year. He was glad that they were able to live up to their sempai who have already left.  
  
Speaking of sempai, he remembered what Haruko told him. The former members of the team would be coming tomorrow. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited because he was eager to have a good match. He again didn't show it, though.  
  
As he thought of these things, he felt his eyelids getting heavier. At the same time, the door opened and the teacher entered then started to speak.  
  
----------------------------  
  
The lunch bell rang across the hallways. Upon its last note, the doors opened and students poured out of their classrooms. Once again, the morning's buzz was heard, and the scene was being repeated, except that the sun was even brighter.  
  
"Haruko-chan, are you going to eat with us today?"   
  
"Oh, sorry, I promised Rukawa-kun that I---"  
  
"Sure, no problem."  
  
Haruko watched her friends leave the classroom and head to the cafeteria. She, on the other hand, took out two bentou boxes from her bag and balanced it in her hands.   
  
// I hope he'd like this one. // She had prepared two servings of sushi last night. He usually bought lunch from the canteen but Haruko decided to bring him some that day to complement the good news she had given him that morning.  
  
// Or I hope it was good for him. // She remembered how Rukawa reacted to what she said earlier. Well, actually, there was no reaction of some sort... as usual. She should have gotten used to his silence by now, but she haven't yet.   
  
// Maybe it'd be different this time, // she thought, trying to be optimistic. Rukawa was just being himself, after all. She couldn't expect him to change drastically for her.   
  
// Why is he so cold? //  
  
// I hope he'll like this one. //  
  
// Even after so much has happened before... //  
  
// 'Can't wait to see him... //   
  
Haruko walked out of the classroom. Aside from the daily morning walk, she had another habit with him. They would meet and eat lunch together under a sakura tree behind the cafeteria. There, they would sit on one of the old benches together and eat. If they still had some time, they both went to the gym where he would shoot some hoops while she watched him.  
  
They wouldn't talk much, though. She would usually try to initiate some conversation, but she would always get the same cold response she got that morning. She never quit trying, though.  
  
She finally arrived at the spot. Nobody usually ate lunch there because it was too secluded. They both liked it there, though, because the shade from the tall trees was a nice cover from the hot noontime sun. At the same time, it was a place where they could keep to themselves, away from the dust and the noise outside.  
  
She checked the bench for any insects then sat. She usually arrived earlier than he did, but he wasn't as late as he was in the morning. To pass the time, Haruko removed the cloth from the bentou boxes and placed the chopsticks neatly beside them. She sat down again.  
  
Five minutes passed. He still hadn't arrived. She loosely put the cloth back on the boxes then decided to go to the cafeteria to fetch some drinks. It was crowded with people. Many times was she interrupted at the lunch line. After ten minutes, she was able to purchase two cans of iced tea.   
  
// I shouldn't make him wait. //  
  
In her hurry, however, she bumped into a tall person carrying an empty lunch tray.  
  
"Haruko-san!" greeted the person.  
  
"Sakuragi-kun?" she asked upon recognizing the person. She looked up and saw the red-head smiling at her. "Oh, hello."  
  
"What're you doing here? I thought you eat lunch with that kitsune," Sakuragi asked with a sudden change in his tone. Haruko knew that Sakuragi still hadn't accepted much that she was already in a relationship with Rukawa, but she was seeing some improvement.  
  
"I just bought drinks for us," Haruko answered quickly, referring to the two cans she held in her hands. She was worried, though, that Rukawa might have arrived already and was waiting for her, or maybe somebody might steal the bentou boxes.  
  
"He made you buy drinks?!" She saw Sakuragi becoming more agitated.  
  
"No, I went here on my own---" she desperately thought of something to change the topic. "Oh, Oniichan and the others will be coming here tomorrow."  
  
It worked. Sakuragi's expression changed and brightened up. "Really? Gori's coming? And Megane-kun? How about Micchi?"  
  
Haruko nodded with a smile. "Yes, they're all coming."  
  
"Yosh! I'll show them how much I've improved! I must practice now. I'll challenge Gori to a match tomorrow! Wait and see, I'll beat you now, Gori! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"  
  
Haruko laughed. "Well, good luck Sakuragi-kun."  
  
Sakuragi blushed, then beamed. "'Gotta go now. See ya later, Haruko-san." With that, Sakurgai walked away. Haruko was glad that Sakuragi was excited to hear the news. It was the reaction she most expected.   
  
// Unlike some people... //  
  
Haruko shook the thought out of her mind. She was going to see him now.   
  
// There was nothing wrong with the way he acted. // She walked faster to the exit of the cafeteria then to the sakura trees.  
  
"Rukawa-kun?" she asked as she walked to the spot. The place was as silent as she left it. She looked on to the bench where she left the bentou boxes. The place was still the same. It was as if nobody had been there since she left.  
  
// So, he hasn't arrived, yet, // she thought. She looked at her watch. Twenty minutes past twelve. That meant he was already twenty minutes late. // Where could he be? //  
  
She sat on the bench and once again, rearranged the boxes. Then, she waited again. She looked at the tree branches and saw some birds and heard them chirping some sweet songs. After five minutes, she adjusted her position and heard fallen leaves and dried grass crumble beneath her feet.  
  
And still, ten minutes once again passed. Rukawa still hadn't arrived. Only twenty-five minutes were left for lunch. She was starting to feel disappointed. It seemed that he wouldn't come today. He never did that before, so she tried to think that he would still come.  
  
And so, time passed.  
  
-------------------------  
  
"Oi, Rukawa, wake up!"  
  
Rukawa opened his eyes and saw his classmate standing over him. He realized that he had been asleep since that morning. He looked around and saw the classroom almost empty. The blackboard was filled with math problems left by the teacher before lunch.  
  
"Where's everybody?" he asked.  
  
"It's lunchtime," answered his classmate.  
  
"What?" He asked his classmate to repeat the reply to make sure. He didn't expect himself to fall asleep for that long.  
  
"I said, 'It's lunchtime'."  
  
He looked at his watch. It was 12:55.  
  
"Oh, shit," he muttered then stood up. He had totally forgotten.  
  
"Hey, where're you going. Lunch is almost over!" his classmate called after him.  
  
"Do'ahou."  
  
He walked as fast as he could down the stairs, not minding people he bumped into. People shouted all sorts of obscenities after he knocked them over in his hurry. He was going in the opposite direction since most were going back to their classrooms. After three minutes of almost running, he finally arrived at their lunch spot.  
  
The place was empty, except for its resident trees and benches.   
  
// She's gone. //  
  
On one of the benches was a bentou box wrapped in blue cloth and beside it was a can of iced tea. He saw a note inserted between the folds of the cloth and went to read it.  
  
"Rukawa-kun, eat your lunch now. It's getting colder by the minute. - Haruko"  
  
// Shit. //  
  
Rukawa opened the box and looked at the contents. Inside were rice and two rolls of sushi. Even if it wasn't hot anymore, it still looked and smelled delicious. However, he closed the box.  
  
// Should I eat it? //  
  
He stood up and looked at his watch. He was already five minutes late for his next class. He yawned and went to the rooftop to sleep until training for that day.   
  
~Tsuzuku~  
  
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Translations:  
» Ohayou - good morning  
» bentou - lunch  
» yosh! - all right!  
» do'ahou - do I need to translate this?  
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	3. A Useless Apology

Title: In the Sunshine [3/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
  
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Chapter 3  
A Useless Apology  
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Rukawa simply raised his left hand and intercepted Kakuta's pass to Sakuragi. He then gripped the ball then dribbled it to the other side of the court. With no posts underneath the basket, he made a successful lay-up.  
  
"Nice, Rukawa!" Ayako shouted. As usual, Rukawa acted like he heard nothing and ran off to the other side of the court to defend.  
  
The Shohoku High School gym was a noisy place that evening. The sound of skidding and bouncing rubber rang across the place, blended with the array of shouts and complaints. The bright light from the fluorescent shone making up for the sun's absence, making the sweat on the players' bodies glisten like small crystals in a jewelry shop.   
  
"Teme, Kitsune!"   
  
"Do'ahou."  
  
"How typical..." Miyagi muttered as he watched. he looked at his wristwatch. It was already seven in the evening. He had to send them off already, or they might meet some thugs in the streets late at night. At the same time, he thought that they would need a lot of rest if they were to match up with their sempai tomorrow. He clapped his hands. "All right! That's enough for today!"  
  
Rukawa wiped off the sweat on his forehead and ignored the complaining Sakuragi.  
  
"Ah, it's so hard without my assistant here," Ayako said looking at the empty seat beside her.   
  
"Eh? Where's Haruko-san?" Sakuragi asked. "You hid her somewhere, didn't you, kitsune?"  
  
"Do'ahou."  
  
"Haruko-chan came to me after classes to inform me about tomorrow. But she also asked me if she can leave practice for today. Something about the science fair..."  
  
"Really? Well, at least kitsune didn't rape her or something..." Sakuragi, satisfied with Ayako's explanation, started to leave for the showers like the others. Meanwhile, Rukawa stayed behind.  
  
"Is she still here?" he spoke when only Ayako was left.  
  
"She didn't tell you?" she asked raising her eyebrows in surprise.  
  
Rukawa simply stayed quiet, signinifying a no.  
  
"A fight?" Ayako asked with a concerned smile.   
  
Rukawa disn't answer her. After all, he wasn't sure if it was a fight or she simply forgot to tell him. He'd understand whatever her reason was, anyway. He was the one at fault, if ever.  
  
"Well, she's still probably in the chemistry lab if you wanna see her. Ja!" With that, Ayako walked away and waved her hand at him.  
  
Rukawa looked in her direction then walked off to the showers himself. He had to be fast if he wanted to catch up with her. He had to return the bentou box to Haruko, and at the same time, he also had to apologize for what happened during lunch earlier that day. He didn't notice that he had fallen asleep for too long already and wanted to beat his classmate for not waking him up.   
  
He had to apologize. He was sure that what he did pissed her off, no HE pissed her off. And to think that he overslept when Haruko prepared a special lunch.  
  
// Do'ahou. //  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"Ja ne, Haruko!"  
  
"Ja ne!" Haruko returned her classmate's words with a wave of her right hand. It was already seven-thirty in the evening. She wasn't worried, though. She was used to going home at times later than this, and most of the time alone. It was only a month ago that she had someone to walk her home.  
  
And she actually felt safe with him. Well, it had only been for a month, after all. There was no reason why she wouldn't be used to being alone now.   
  
She increased her pace in walking. It was already dark, despite the light given by the moon high in the sky and some lamps on the streets. It was already quiet in the campus, except for an ocassional cracking of a twig and rustling of leaves.   
  
All of a sudden, she heard a footstep from behind.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked, turning apprehensively. She was quite relieved to see that no one was there, but was surprised at how nervous she was. She continued to walk to the school gate.  
  
"Oi."  
  
The familiar voice came from behind. Haruko looked and saw the tall figure leaning on the wall of the building.  
  
"Rukawa-kun..." Haruko's voice trailed off.  
  
// So he still waited for me... //  
  
// Ready to take me home, I guess... //  
  
// Like we usually do... //  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
He didn't know how to face her. He didn't think he actually had a face in the first place. But somehow, he had to get his apology across. He clutched the bentou box in hand and walked towards her. She continued to look at him with a simple expression that was something between surprise and anticipation.  
  
// Anticipation for an apology? Hope so... //  
  
"Here," he handed the bentou box to her. He waited for her hand to take it, but unfortunately, she kept it, holding her bag.  
  
// Ch... //  
  
"Did you eat it?" she suddenly asked.  
  
He nodded silently.  
  
// Every last bite. //  
  
Haruko took the box from Rukawa's hands and slid it into her bag. Rukawa was secretly glad that she took it back.   
  
"Le--"  
  
"Ja ne, Rukawa-kun!" Haruko waved her hand and started to walk away before Rukawa could even invite her to go home.  
  
"Wait."   
  
Haruko stopped and looked at him, then completely turned to face him.   
  
"Sorry 'bout what happened during lunch."  
  
--------------------------------  
  
// How many times have I heard that from you already? //  
  
"I overslept."  
  
// A hundred? A thousand? Perhaps, even a million. //  
  
// And there were also millions of times that I forgave you. //  
  
Haruko sighed and closed her eyes. She had once gain heard his apology.  
  
"'You mad?"  
  
// Am I mad? //  
  
She shook her head. "No, Rukawa-kun. I was just a bit disappointed, that's all. Everything's fine now."  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
Haruko wasn't sure about what she did and said. Was it right for her to have forgiven him? She knew that Rukawa overslept by nature. It was so typical of him to miss out on something because he was slumbering and dreaming away. She knew that and knew it well. The fact wasn't supposed to be surprising for her, and even for everybody else. She should have been used to it by now. Even before they started out, she knew that he was sloppy and lazy unless he was playing in the court.   
  
But how come she couldn't seem to accept it?  
  
That's why she accepted his apology. He was just being himself, after all.  
  
"Let's go home, then." Rukawa nodded and walked beside her.   
  
It was another habit. Even though Rukawa lived only a few blocks from the train station, he always took the train to bring Haruko home before he rode it again to go to his own house. It was quite an inconvenient practice, and Haruko insisted that he would only walk her to the train station and then he would go home. HE insisted, though. No matter how much Haruko tried to talk him out of it, he always followed her.   
  
// Oh, well. I guess words never work on him. //  
  
// After all, that was where it all began. //  
  
There were only a few students left on the streets. It was almost eight o' clock. Most of the travelers left were those riding in cars. Their headlights gave a momentary glare that made pedestrians do an array of things ranging from covering their eyes to swearing of all sorts.  
  
"It sure is warm tonight," Haruko said as they walked on the overpass to cross the street."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm excited about tomorrow."  
  
Silence.  
  
// Again? //  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
// Maybe not. //  
  
"By the way, what happened during practice?"  
  
Silence, silence.  
  
// Guess that means nothing much, huh? //  
  
"Did Sakuragi-kun do something again?"  
  
"He was himself."  
  
"I see. What did Miyagi-san say about my absence?"  
  
Silence, silence, silence.  
  
"How about Ayako-san?"  
  
Silence, silence, silence, silence.  
  
Silence, silence, silence, silence, silence.  
  
It took some time for them to be able to ride a tram. The lines were long and people were jammed against each other. Anyone that night would have loved to have someone to talk to.   
  
// And still he remains silent. //  
  
Haruko gave up at the thought of trying to get some words out of Rukawa. She knew that he wouldn't talk no matter how much she did. She just hoped that he heard whatever she said and was ignoring her.  
  
// But what if he's really ignoring me? //  
  
She froze at the thought. She looked at Rukawa who was gazing outside the window with his eyes half-closed. She could tell that he was almost asleep and would do so in a matter of seconds.  
  
// Wait... he just asked for my forgiveness a while ago. And now he's ignoring me? //  
  
She really didn't mean to get mad.   
  
// The nerve... ///  
  
Two stations later, Haruko got off the train, leaving a sleeping basketball player in the tram. She walked alone to her house and then prepared dinner for her parents. Afterwards, she did her homework and slept the best she ever had for weeks.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Translations:  
» Ja ne! - See ya!  
» Bentou - lunch  
» Do'ahou - idiot  
» sempai - senior 


	4. Friendly Advice

Title: In the Sunshine [4/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.  
  
And credits to the songs that inspired me: "You Were There" by Southern Sons, "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch, "Somewhere Out There" by Our Lady Peace and "Could it be Harder" by The Calling.  
  
*But is listening to "Stigmatized" by The Calling as she writes this*  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
  
I'm trying to get more of the other SD characters involved this time. And in this chapter, it's Micchan! Some friendly advice to a kohai stuck in one big problem.  
  
Extra notes: "........................." indicates the beginning and end of a flashback.   
"--------------------" indicates a change in the view.   
  
Translations:  
» Do'ahou - idiot  
» Nani yo? - What  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 4  
Friendly Advice  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Governor! Kogure-sempai! Mitsui-san!"  
  
"Long time, no see, Miyagi," Takenori Akagi greeted him with a small wave of his right hand. He stood at the gym doors, casting a shadow with his large and towering figure. The two people behind him, Hisashi Mitsui and Kiminobu Kogure, casted smaller shadows.  
  
The sounds of small cheers and hoots rang throughout the place as they saw the arrival of their three sempai. They all stopped what they were doing. The sound of rubber momentarily disappeared, but was replaced by joyous voices of welcome.   
  
"You're such a dictator, Miyagi. You're making them practice in such weather," teased Mitsui who wiped the sweat on his forehead using a handkerchief.  
  
True enough, that day was especially sunny. Some clubs cancelled their activities for that day due to the impending danger of someone having a heat stroke. There were only a few people outside, since they wanted to keep away from the sun as much as possible. The sun seemed to be shining its brightest. The sky was cloudless, and along with the sun, seemed like a blanket of plain blue and pale yellow. The heat was proven by the caky consistency of the soil and the noticeable increase of the brown patches in the grass. Even Ayako was affected, for she wore a tank top that day instead of her usual big, white shirt.  
  
"The heat is no excuse," Miyagi said proudly.  
  
"He's right," said Akagi.  
  
Kogure laughed and pushed his way inside the gym. "Well, let's look at everyone. Eh? You've grown taller, Sakuragi?"  
  
"Of course, Megane-kun! I'm already taller than that kitsune, and I'll be taller than Gori in a few months' time. NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!"  
  
"Do'ahou."  
  
"Still haven't changed, have you?" Mitsui asked everyone, though he seemed to indirectly ask Rukawa.   
  
"Ch..."  
  
------------------------  
  
// What the hell is he trying to ask? //  
  
Rukawa continued to practice his dribbling on the far side of the court and kept himself from joining the welcome chatter with the sempai. He wasn't interested in that part of their visit. He was more into the matches that would be held later on.  
  
// Do'ahou... //  
  
He didn't want to remember what happened the previous night. He did something that even somebody as stupid as Sakuragi wouldn't do. It was pure idiocy. How could he have fallen asleep like that? He thought that maybe it was about time that he went to check with a doctor if there was something wrong with him or not. He was quite sure that he was listening to her when they were walking on the streets, and that she wasn't talking anymore when they rode the train. However, it seemed that she got pissed off and left him asleep. When he awoke, he was already near Kainan, indeed a very far place.  
  
And to add the fact that when he went to the train station that morning, she wasn't there waiting for him. When he went to their lunch spot that afternoon, there was no sign of her. He looked for her inside the cafeteria, and he found her there chatting with some friends. He didn't approach her, there, though. It was unlikely of him to do that, since he always wanted to be with Haruko in private.  
  
There must have been a reason why she left him there and why she didn't show up at their meeting places. He must have done something wrong, or she would have waken him up.  
  
// But she forgave me already, did she not? //  
  
As he continued to dribble, he thought of possible reasons. He did apologize to her, and he did return the bentou box. What else could he have done?  
  
.....................................  
  
"It sure is warm tonight."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm excited about tomorrow."  
  
"..."  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"By the way, what happened during practice?"  
  
"Did Sakuragi-kun do something again?"  
  
"He was himself."  
  
"I see. What did Miyagi-san say about my absence?"  
  
"..."  
  
"How about Ayako-san?"  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
...............................  
  
// Do'ahou. //  
  
// Was I being cold to her? //  
  
// Was I? //  
  
// I'm pretty sure I'm doing the right thing... //  
  
// I was just being myself. //  
  
// I just didn't find it necessary to say more. //  
  
// And I was tired from practice. She knew that... //  
  
// She probably knew that. //  
  
// She must know that. //  
  
"Oi."  
  
Rukawa looked behind him and saw Mitsui standing, holding a basketball in his left hand. He was giving Rukawa an expression halfway between a grin and a snicker. It was sort of mockery to him at first, then he realized that Mitsui was challenging him.  
  
"One-on-one, Rukawa?"  
  
He didn't say anything, but he quickly walked to the nearest hoop, thus accepting the challenge.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
// He doesn't seem sorry about last night at all. //  
  
Haruko stood behind Ayako as she talked to Kogure. She seemed to be listening to the conversation, too, but she was far-off, staring into space. She noticed, however, that Rukawa was still being himself: cold and quiet. He readily accepted Mitsui's challenge without hesitation. That was Rukawa, all right.  
  
// Why do I care, anyway? //  
  
// I'm going to tell him soon, anyway. //  
  
// I'll just have to say goodbye to him. //  
  
// I think he'll like that. //  
  
// Will he? //  
  
She suddenly heard a big thud. It caught all their attention.  
  
"What?!" she heard Mitsui exclaim. She looked at where they were having their match.  
  
Mitsui was sitting on the floor while Rukawa just landed on his two feet. The ball bounced away and landed in front of Haruko.   
  
"Ch..."  
  
"What are you doing, Micchi? You're supposed to stop that show-off!" Sakuragi angrily shouted at him.  
  
"Shut up, amateur!"  
  
"Micchi? How could you say that?"  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"What a dunk," Mitsui hear himself murmur, then shook his head. He knew that he wasn't supposed to be amazed but it was indeed astounding. Fortunately, he quickly recovered. "Well done, Rukawa. Now, it's my turn for offense."  
  
Haruko tossed the ball to Mitsui who tossed it to Rukawa. Rukawa tossed it back to Mitsui, then he began to dribble. He crouched low, his back against his opponent, and using his left arm as a shield from Rukawa's prying hands. His sweat slid on his skin continuously. There was no way he could lose this one. He had to prove that their past match and his victory in that game wasn't a fake.   
  
He was still Shohoku's ace.  
  
A few moments passed. Seeing an empty passage at Rukawa's right, Mitsui turned to that side and then stepped back. He made sure that three-point line was a few inches away, then made a beautiful jump shot.  
  
It went right into the ring with a 'swish'.  
  
"All right!" Mitsui punched his right fist into the air. He had at last proven that he was the real victor between the two of them. He grinned at Rukawa who was crouching and panting. He then approached his kohai.  
  
"I won again, Rukawa," he held his hand out to him, asking for a handshake. He was waiting for a sour reaction of some sort, like the last time. Instead, Rukawa slapped his hand in return.  
  
"Nice fight..." he muttered as he continued to pant.  
  
// At least he ain't a sore loser now, // Mitsui thought then smiled even more. He was quite surprised with the reaction, but he didn't think it bad. Any good change in Rukawa's selfish attitude, he knew, would prove useful to the team.  
  
"That was great Micchi!" Sakuragi praised.  
  
"Still picking on juniors, I see," teased Miyagi.  
  
Mitsui looked at Coach Anzai, who nodded approvingly.  
  
------------------------------------------------------  
  
Meanwhile, Haruko stared at Rukawa from a distance. She wasn't able to watch the one-on-one he and Mitsui had last year, but Ayako gave her a fully detailed account of what happened back then. Mitsui supposedly had won the fight with a three-pointer, but Rukawa objected that he stepped on the line. Nobody could really tell if he did until Sakuragi played judge and declared Mitsui the winner. Of course, it was a biased decision, but what if he really didn't step on it? The question of who truly won the match had remained, and now, it was solved.  
  
// Nice fight... //  
  
But this time, Rukawa didn't object to his sempai's victory. He accepted his loss, unlike before, he was a sore loser.  
  
"He's changed," she heard Ayako say.  
  
// He's changed... //  
  
-----------------------------------------  
  
The fights continued. There was Mitsui vs. Miyagi, Mitsui vs. Sakuragi, Kogure vs. Rukawa (where the seniors' winning streak was unfortunately broken), Kogure vs. Sakuragi (Kogure won). Kogure vs. Yasuda, the former starting five vs. the freshmen, Akagi vs. Sakuragi, and so on and so forth. Coach Anzai watched the fights with constant approval. It didn't take long after the last fight when they were dismissed.  
  
It was already 7:30 in the evening. Rukawa walked slowly out of the gym doors and gazed at the blue velvet sky above him. There was still no moon, but the stars hung like small gems tempting him to reach his hand out and grab one for himself. The night air itself was warm, but comforting and its steady presence was once in a while broken by a soft breeze that brought sounds of rustling to the trees. It was indeed a beautiful night, and it was a great waste to walk alone in it.  
  
He sighed, and though not obvious, in dismay. Haruko left with her brother even before he could take a shower.  
  
// So she is mad at me. //  
  
// But why? //  
  
The night was perfect to spend with her.  
  
He tried to push the idea out of his mind. It only made him feel worse. He decided to dwell on the games they had earlier. The sempai had improved greatly, just as they had. They refused to give the juniors an easy time, though. Both sides played their best, as expected of them. He also recalled the game between the former starting five and the freshmen. It gave them pretty much the idea on what is expected of them as members of Shohoku.  
  
Some people from the sidelines also cheered for both teams. And so did team managers.  
  
// Shit. Here I go again. //  
  
She shouted a word of encouragement or two for everyone that training day. She never really directed anything to him in particular since before, but earlier, she seemed to deliberately ignore him.   
  
She didn't smile at him.  
  
There were never words, as he preferred. All he wanted was a look from her eyes that told him to go on, and the special smile on her lips that could never be found in anybody else. He missed it particularly that day. He actually thought that it was the reason why he lost against Mitsui. Ironically, it wasn't there when he needed it the most.  
  
// Why? //  
  
"Oi."  
  
Rukawa was surprised to hear the Mitsui's deep, rough voice from behind. He stopped and turned to his sempai who was walking in long, fast steps to catch up with him. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and khaki pants. His hair was once more fixed with gel.  
  
"Walking alone?" he asked.   
  
Rukawa nodded.  
  
"I'll be going home a few blocks on the way to the train station. Is that okay with you?"   
  
"Sure," Rukawa answered and waited for Mitsui. He usually wouldn't accept such an invitation, but he was somewhat lonely that night. Mitsui wasn't really the best person for it, but at least, he wasn't alone.  
  
Mitsui finally caught up with him and grinned. "'Heard you've got a gal already. Akagi was fuming about it in the shower room."  
  
"Ch..." Instead of looking straight ahead like he usually did, Rukawa turned his face away from Mitsui and pretended to look at the view of the park on the other side of the street. He didn't want him to see the very irked look on his face.  
  
"Uhhh... sorry 'bout that..."  
  
"Whatever..."  
  
----------------------  
  
Mitsui wanted to laugh out loud. Here he was, walking with ex-super rookie and now Shohoku ace (He believed he's still the ace, but he wasn't studying there anymore.) Kaede Rukawa all sad and lonely because his girlfriend had a fight with him. Where was the once fearless and emotionless basketball player now? He could only wonder, but he had the heart the keep the humor to himself.   
  
Mitsui really wasn't the type to hover over gossips and stuff, but the way Rukawa reacted, and how he and Haruko seemed to act like strangers to each other that day made it obvious that the two weren't really in good terms. He actually couldn't believe the news when Akagi told him, since they acted nothing like a couple when he saw them. But he guessed by now that it was true.  
  
Both of them remained silent until after a few minutes. Mitsui didn't want the rest of the walk to remain like this. After all, it would be a long time after he'd be in Kanagawa again (He entered the University of Kobe) and wanted to make the most out of it. But how?  
  
Without even thinking, he suddenly began to speak. He was quite surprised at his own words, for he himself was never an expert when it came to girls. He did have a girlfriend in Kobe that time.  
  
"You know, Rukawa, if you plan on being quiet all the time, Haruko-chan surely won't like it."  
  
He seemed to have gotten Rukawa's attention for he spoke a soft 'Nani yo?', though barely audible.  
  
"It's quite an improvement that you accepted your loss during our game. I actually expected you to object."  
  
Silence. Mitsui didn't mind. He didn't expect him to speak this time.  
  
// Am I actually saying this? Holy smokes... //  
  
"'Seems that she's changed you a lot, huh?"  
  
----------------------------  
  
Rukawa couldn't believe that Mitsui was actually talking about things that personal to him. He didn't show any sign of disbelief, though, and kept it to himself. He didn't stop Mitsui, either, because he thought he // might // be able to pick up something from their conversation.  
  
Although a part of him quite doubted that.  
  
He continued to look at the park as Mitsui spoke, pretending not to listen to any word his sempai said, but he's ears pricked up like the fox, which he greatly resembled, upon hearing the arrival of its prey.  
  
"Well, don't get me wrong. Haruko is a very nice girl."  
  
"..."  
  
"And letting her go would be a very big waste. You're really kinda lucky that Akagi hadn't beaten you up to pieces and Sakuragi hadn't done so, either. 'Guess they accepted it, huh?"  
  
"Ch..."  
  
"How come you're not doing anything about it?"  
  
He knew that Mitsui was right. He was indeed lucky that Haruko became his girlfriend. He had such a person who cared for him deeply, and many people, though they refused to admit it, accepted their relationship. Nothing could go wrong... except for him.  
  
"I once had the chance to become the best basketball player in Kanagawa, but I let it go."  
  
"..."  
  
"Now you have the best girl you can ever dream of... Would you let her go?"  
  
Rukawa knew that Mitsui was right. He never expected such a person, whom he never really talked to much, to give him such words. Surely, they were worth following.  
  
Both of them remained silent, though, until they arrived at a certain corner to Mitsui's house. A car honked nearby and flashed a light at their direction. It illuminated Mitsui's face: serious, yet their was a kind of friendly warmth in his expression.  
  
"Well, 'guess I gotta go now," he said. "See you in the national team, Rukawa."  
  
"Yeah. See ya." With that, both of them walked away in opposite directions.   
  
Rukawa couldn't take off from his mind what Mitsui just said. He was right. Haruko was just like a chance he shouldn't let go of, like a ball bouncing off the basket, ready to be taken in a rebounder's hands. It was a crucial time, and he had to stretch his arms wide open to catch the ball. If he wouldn't get it, then he might lose the game.  
  
// Would I stretch my arms? Wide open? //  
  
He really wouldn't. However...  
  
// Sometimes, change is good. // 


	5. Learning to Breathe

Anou... new version. The ending was kinda weird at the start.  
  
'Eto na, Ate Daiji. Hindi ko na itatago. Mali 'yung ginawa ko kasi nasa view pa rin ni Rukawa kaya hindi ko na siya dapat itago. Saka obvious naman kung sino 'yung nasagasaan. May light blue uniform ang Shohoku. 'YUng dark blue 'pang spring at iba pang seasons , pero may light blue sila para 'pag summer.  
  
Rukawa's still OOC? Ahhhh... Why does this personality have to be so rigid? It makes writing about him so hard, and so fun, as well. I guess it's the apology...  
  
Forgive me for the VERY LATE update. I think that I'll be uploading chapters faster now since I've broken out of that writer's block already.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Sunshine [5/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.  
  
And credits to the songs that inspired me: "You Were There" by Southern Sons, "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch, "Somewhere Out There" by Our Lady Peace and "Could it be Harder" by The Calling.  
  
Of course, there's Switchfoot's 'Learning to Breathe', and thus, the chapter title.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
  
For this chapteR: Mizusawa is Rukawa's kohai in Movie 4. He's not really a bishounen, but I adore him [his basketball skills and his sweet attitude]. Too bad he can't play, but he does in this fic. This chapter's partly a tribute to Mizusawa-kun and his determination to play basketball. How I wish to see him play in a Slam Dunk game. Too sad...  
  
And yes, the story is starting to drag. And it was a very late update. I had to dig the ideas out of my mind. YOu see, I never really plan my fics because being spontaneous is my favorite part in writing. It just kills me in time of writer's block.  
  
Translations:  
++ sempai - senior  
++ oniichan - brother  
++ do'ahou - nuts, idiot, you can name all the crazy translations AXN has for this simple word.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 5  
Learning to Breathe  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
// Now you have the best girl you can ever dream of... Would you let her go? //  
  
The ball bounced off the hoop after a few moments of uncertainty among the two opposing teams. Nobody knew what would happen next until a pair of pale hands shot up and grabbed the ball with full power. The crowd roared with mixed reactions as they watched Kaede Rukawa jump even higher than the famed rebounder of Kanagawa, Hanamichi Sakuragi, and catch the falling ball in his hands.   
  
His skin sparkled with sweat, and his arms were stretched out wide above his opponents' heads. His raven hair flew across his face, but revealed eyes of intense blue and determination.  
  
"Teme, Kitsune! That was my rebound!"  
  
"Do'ahou," muttered Rukawa as he landed and tossed the ball to Miyagi, who was awaiting his pass.  
  
"That's about enough fighting, the two of you," Yasuda warned them as they ran past the two who were exchanging glares against each other.  
  
Ayako couldn't help but smile. There was only five minutes left to play and the score was 78 to 61. It was quite likely that they would win, unless Shoyo had a miracle three-point shooter like Mitsui who would reverse the game to their side no matter what.   
  
"I never expected the game to be like this. Ne, Haruko-chan? Last year's game was so tough, now it's quite the opposite."  
  
Haruko nodded at her with a big smile and tightened her grip on the stopwatch in her hands. They were going to win this game, and she would give the news to Oniichan that they made it to the Inter-High. And she would give even better news if they managed to beat even Kainan. She imagined how happy her brother would be, and to add that his own college team was doing as great as Shohoku was.  
  
The crowd continued to roar as Miyagi threw a jump shot a few inches behind the free-throw line and earned Shohoku's 80th point. Ayako screamed and jumped with joy. Coach Anzai laughed gently while Haruko wrote the score down with a smile.  
  
"Nice, Ryota!"   
  
Shohoku was strong, indeed it was. Amidst the noise suddenly came the blow of the referee's whistle. Shoyo called for a charged time-out, and the shouts were reduced to excited chatterings. Ayako welcomed Ryota and handed him a fresh towel as he walked towards the bench, wiping the sweat on his forehead. He gave her a smile as he approached.  
  
"You're doing great," Ayako told him with a sweet smile. Ryota smiled even more.  
  
"Well, why not?"  
  
For some reason, Haruko couldn't watch the two of them. They denied their relationship, despite their obvious display of affection for each other.  
  
She felt quite jealous. Both of them were so happy with each other.  
  
She then decided to watch the four other players take advantage of the short rest. She gazed at them, yet she avoided looking at a certain player who was sitting down by the far side, breathing heavily, staring at the ground, with the sweat on his forehead still flowing freely. She desperately pulled her eyes away from _him_ and called Mizusawa, the only freshman included in the starting line-up.  
  
"Great job, Mizusawa-kun," Haruko praised.  
  
"Thank you, Haruko-san. But nobody could ever outdo Rukawa-sempai."   
  
// Great. I call him to distract me from that guy, and now he mentions him. //  
  
// Well, he is doing great today. //  
  
// As always. //  
  
"He seems extraordinarily energetic today. Imagine, he even grabbed the rebound from Sakuragi-san."  
  
"Hah! That was a lucky catch!" Sakuragi boasted in. "Ne, Haruko-san?"  
  
"But Rukawa-sempai jumped higher than you did."  
  
"It was a greasy one."  
  
"It wasn't!"  
  
"It was!"  
  
"It wasn't!"  
  
"Let Haruko-san speak!"  
  
Haruko didn't notice how the thread of their conversation had become and her mind began to wander aimlessly again. The picture of Rukawa catching the rebound flashed across her mind and couldn't help but admire it.  
  
// So cool... //  
  
// Why am I thinking like this about him? //  
  
"Haruko-san?" the two asked in unison.  
  
"Oh," she flustered a bit.  
  
Sakuragi gave a pout and spoke, "Well, she might be quite biased. After all...'  
  
"No, I think it was a greasy one," she suddenly said.  
  
"Eh? How could you say that, Haruko-san?" Mizusawa asked in confusion. He thought their manager would be on his side, but before Haurko could even justify her answer, Coach Anzai called all of them and gave them a pep talk. After a few moments, the game resumed.  
  
------------------------------  
  
He didn't know why he had beocme so particular about rebounds that game. He usually left rebounds to Sakuragi and Mizusawa, and concentrated on scoring. It was something about the advice Mitsui gave him last week when they visited Shohoku that pushed him.  
  
// On taking chances and risks... //  
  
He had taken so many risks before, mostly in games, but he had never done so in real life. Well, basketball was almost his life, but then, there was more to it now. Again, he had to apologize to her, for something he wasn't really sure about. But he knew that he had surely done something wrong, because he knew she hadn't.   
  
And she never would.  
  
"Rebound!"  
  
Rukawa jumped in full force and again grabbed the ball before others could even lay their hands on it. He landed on the floor on his two feet.  
  
"Pass it here!" Yasuda shouted, waving his arms. Rukawa knew better. The opponent was anticipating that he would pass it to Yasuda, so he passed it to Mizusawa, who was relatively free from any guards. The kohai caught it in his hands and gave a jump shot from a few inches behind the three-point line.   
  
The ball landed on the right side of the hoop. It rolled to the other side. The shouting stopped and the noise subsided. All eyes were on the ball. The tension grew as they watched it nervously balance itself.   
  
After a few moments, it went into the ring with the beautiful swish sound, though it was soon drowned away by the cheers from the crowd.  
  
"83 to 61! Shohoku's amazing!"  
  
"Eh?" Ayako was quite shocked as she checked the records. "That was Rukawa's seventh assist for this game." She flipped back through the older pages of the notebook where she and Haruko kept all statistics of the players and their games. "The most was three."  
  
-------------------------  
  
"Thanks for the pass, Rukawa-sempai."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
The game ended with a score of 87 to 69. They didn't deny that they became quite merciful with their opponent after Mizusawa gave his three-pointer. They were sure of victory by that time, and they knew it was beyond showing off that they gave their opponent the chance to bring the lead below twenty.  
  
The team members were chattering joyously as they walked out of the stadium. There was generally a light buzz in the air that set everybody's moods high. They walked in small groups.  
  
It was already six in the evening. The sun was still in the sky, but half of it was already submerged in the Kanagawa horizon, embedded with silhouettes of buildings and electric lines. It gave a light orange tint to the surroundings before the blue gradient above it took over.   
  
// There she is... //  
  
Rukawa followed from behind, though it wasn't that obvious for he kept his gaze at the skyline, pretending to pay attention to the little details of the breath-taking view. It went on like this until they reached the bus stop.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Haruko walked with Ayako and Ryota chattering with the two of them lively and cheerfully about the game. She couldn't help but become very excited about how the events were turning out.  
  
"Next would be Hiratzushi, then Ryonan, then Kainan!" she exclaimed. Ayako and Ryota smiled with her and they continued to talk about the near future. The conversation halted when they arrived at the bus stop.  
  
"Ne, Haruko-chan," Ayako began. "Ryota and I have something else to do. Maybe you'd like to go home ahead."  
  
"Oh..." Haruko's voice trailed off. She felt a pang of jealousy within her.  
  
// Why can't I be so happy like Ayako-san? //  
  
"Just tell the others that we're going to have practice tomorrow, as usual," added Ryota who took Ayako's duffel bag in his hands.  
  
"Y-yes..." She watched them walk away and take the nearest bus.  
  
// A date? Miyagi-san's so sweet. What a perfect way to celebrate the victory. //  
  
// Well, I'll be celebrating, too. I'll call Oniichan and tell him the good news. //  
  
// Liar... //  
  
// Haruko, you know you don't want to celebrate it that way. //  
  
She sighed. They haven't been with each other for a week already. Haruko tried to deny it, but she missed him. She missed their morning walk and how he was always late. She missed eating lunch with him underneath the old tree behind the cafeteria. She missed walking home with him underneath the warm night sky. She missed his intense blue gaze, she missed his rare and warm touch...  
  
...And even his cold silence. The silence she thought she much hated and despised about their relationship.  
  
She missed him.  
  
// No... //  
  
// Yes. //  
  
// How could I miss him? How could I miss the way he treats me so coldly? The way he ignores everything I say? How he doesn't seem to appreciate the things I do for him? How he's always late? How? //  
  
// His beautiful blue eyes? His little words? His soft, gentle voice? //  
  
-----------------------  
  
He missed her.  
  
He wanted to walk up to her that moment. She was merely standing at the bus stop, gazing off into space. He knew she was deep in thought, and it wouldn't be right to interrupt her. At the same time, she was alone. It was the perfect moment to approach her, apologize and make up.  
  
It had been more than a week since they last talked, but for him, it seemed more than a month already. He had been thinking about her since then. Only more than a month ago, he didn't mind her presence, but now, he couldn't seem to live without it. It didn't seem like him, no, it was very unlikely of him to feel this way, but he couldn't deny that it was torture.  
  
It was sheer torture to him that he couldn't be with her during the morning. It was pure pain that he couldn't hear her sweet voice talk to him and cheer him up. It killed him that he couldn't eat his lunch with her under the old tree at school. He wanted to call himself a big do'ahou for letting these things happen.  
  
// Do'ahou. //  
  
Thus, he had to make a move. He walked towards her.  
  
"Oi..."  
  
She turned to him with a surprised look at her face, which she quickly changed to a stern one.   
  
"What do you want?"  
  
// Damn... //  
  
"Well, about last week...'  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
They didn't notice but the sun had already gone down and the sky, from bright crimson, had changed into a color of soft velvet blue, decorated with small, twinkling stars. Cars turned their headlights on and flashed them around. One particular glare came and reflected Haruko's face in a yellow tint.  
  
The usually bright blue eyes were now void of emotion, looking at him annoyed and expectantly. Her mouth was pursed into a light smirk that seemed to mock him.  
  
"You're sorry?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah..." // What now? //  
  
She smirked at him even more. "And you think I'll accept your apology this time?"  
  
"Well..." Rukawa directed his gaze once again to the skyline, which was now a blur of black shadows, yellow dots, and royal blue.  
  
"You think so, right?" The tone in her voice was different. It seemed to be somebody else. She wasn't the Haruko he knew, for she would never treat him so coldy.  
  
Unlike the way he did.  
  
Another glare came and reflected him nod his head.  
  
"Quite confident, aren't you? How could you think like that?"  
  
Silence.  
  
The scene was becoming very familiar. He didn't want it to happen again. He desperately groped for words to say that would change the scene. There had to be more than this. He had more in mind, more things to say, which made his mind want to explode. He couldn't quite put a finger on what he wanted to say, though. It was at the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come out altogether. He wanted to open his stupid mouth, but it refused to follow him, as if it had a mind of its own.  
  
He had to say something. It was happening again.  
  
And again and again. He hated how history always repeated itself.  
  
"Do you have anything else to say?" she asked.  
  
Rukawa shook his head reluctantly.   
  
"As usual."  
  
"Ch..."  
  
"Well, I have to go home. There'd be practice tomorrow, at the gym, same time. Don't be late, okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
He watched her walk away to cross the street. She did so straight ahead, without even looking back, keeping a fast pace that she usually didn't have. Lights glared and reflected the image in some sort of a dramatic manner.  
  
// Would you let her go? //  
  
// Do'ahou. Of course, not. //  
  
He opened his mouth to call her name and ask her to wait for him, but a speeding car kept his mouth closed. A navy blue Mercedes Benz came rushing down the street. From behind, it was being chased by a small police car.  
  
"Please stop your car. You are driving above the speed limit." The driver of the car refused to listen and went on. He watched the commotion, though he wasn't exactly interested in it. He looked at her again.   
  
Haruko continued to walk until a skidding sound and a piercing scream filled the air. This was followed by a loud thud. A few more moments passed, then there were the sounds of shocked murmuring and high-pitched sirens. People started to gather around the scene to see what happened. Some quickly walked away at the gruesome sight while some screamed.  
  
He could never have guessed what happened.  
  
She lay beside the benz's front tire with a pool of blood surrounding her already pale body. It stained her light blue clothes, her hair and her skin with an unpleasant red tone. Paramedics surrounded her to give immediate treatment to her wounds. Nearby, the driver of the benz was talking to the policemen, scratching his head before handcuffs were put on his wrists. A few minutes passed then people started to walk away and headed back to their own business.   
  
However, he remained standing there, his eyes as wide as saucers, staring at the horrible scene.  
  
~Tsuzuku de gozaru yo~  
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	6. Regret and Confrontation

Title: In the Sunshine [6/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.  
  
And credits to the songs that inspired me: "You Were There" by Southern Sons, "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch, "Somewhere Out There" by Our Lady Peace and "Could it be Any Harder" by The Calling.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
  
For this Chapter: I've got the fic planned out, much to my dismay, and I'm starting to plan Yuki Onna and In the Snow. I really need to develop this habit.   
  
I love Ich-chan. He's Shohoku's ace for now. He's not appearing in this chapter, though, yet. =^o^= =^o^= =^o^= He's such an angel. I'll watch Movie 4 after this... Atashi wa Ich-chan ga tottemo daisuki! Wait! I'm starting to like him more than Kaede-kun... Uh-oh...  
  
And more Hanamichi appearances here, although quite OOC [so is Rukawa, I think]. I rarely see non-yaoi, non-OC fanfics portraying Hana-kun seriously [always the do'ahou redhead singing the tuneless 'ore wa tensai basketto man' song] and I hope to show him in a new light here just as I hope I have done for Rukawa and Haruko.  
  
Translations:  
+ teme - you  
+ sempai - senior  
+ kitsune - fox  
+ do'ahou - idiot, nuts, crazy, asshole, whatever you think is suitable among the crazy translations AXN has.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 6  
Regret and Confrontation  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Have you heard of what just happened, Ryota?" Ayako asked him then ruffled the hair behind her curly ponytail. They were walking towards a small corner in the street, a shortcut to school. It was away form the hot and noisy main road. There was much shade from tall buildings and some trees. The sounds of the streets were quite distant from them. It was relatively silent, and so were they. Both of them had serious looks in their faces. Ayako looked straight ahead with her left hand on her shoulder bag, while Ryota gazed at the ground with his right arm slinging his duffel bag above his shoulder.   
  
"Yeah," he answered, then sighed. "Her parents called me last night. I was informed that she'll be fine in two weeks. She's still unconscious, though."  
  
"They said she was with Rukawa when it happened."  
  
"Are you blaming him?" He adjusted his right arm and shifted the weight a little bit.  
  
"Of course, not. You know that those two haven't been on very good terms lately," she answered him with a slight crease on her forehead.  
  
"I hate to say this, but I was quite thankful for that fight. It made Rukawa perform well during that game with Shoyo."  
  
"As they say, he plays better when he's agitated." Ayako smiled and recalled how Rukawa always brought the team out of difficult situations and gave them the victory.  
  
"I wonder if he'll still do so now. I can bet he's feeling guilty."  
  
"Yeah, behind that cold facade, there's always a soft spot in him. You know that, don't you?"  
  
Miyagi remained silent. As captain, he wanted the best for his teammates, and didn't want to pressure them in any kind of way. He knew that he couldn't force Rukawa to do his best this time, since he was having a problem. But then, it was a crucial time, indeed. They were in the final four, and their first opponent was Ryonan. Although their menacing center, Jun Uozumi, was gone, Shohoku also lost Takenori Akagi. At the same time, there were also their ace Akira Sendoh and the scorer Kiccho Fukuda. He knew that Ryonan's guards weren't much of a problem, and he and Yasuda can match them easily. He also knew that Mizusawa could match up with anyone. At the same time, Sakuragi had improved much and can stop Fukuda now. The question lay in Rukawa.  
  
Would he be able to stop Sendoh? Especially in this state he's in? Ayako remained silent as well. The same question burned in their thoughts. They were shaken, however, when they heard a familiar voice shouting from a near corner.   
  
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"  
  
They quickly ran to where the sound was coming from and saw Sakuragi positioned to give a punch to Rukawa who was sitting on the ground, his left hand balancing his body while his right hand wiped a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. Sakuragi made a step, crunching a waste softdrink can under his foot.  
  
Ryota's reflexes were quick enough to shout a warning. "Oi, Hanamichi, stop that!"   
  
Sakuragi stopped and looked at the two of them. "Ryochin... Ayako-san..."  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Miyagi asked and ran towards the two of them.   
  
"Ch..." Rukawa stood up and looked away from them with an irritated expression on his face, as if he disliked Miyagi's arrival at the scene.  
  
"What is it, Rukawa?" Miyagi asked who quickly noticed the sour reaction.  
  
"I'm leaving." Rukawa took his bag and slung it over his right shoulder.  
  
"Wait, Rukawa. This ain't over yet." Sakuragi was about to go after Rukawa and was about to hit him, but Miyagi held him back.   
  
"Rukawa!" Ayako called after him, but Rukawa simply walked away without even looking at them. She looked at Sakuragi, whose face was a bright shade of crimson with anger. He looked serious that time and his eyes were filled with anger. It wasn't one of those petty bickerings they usually had everyday.  
  
"Calm down, will ya?" Miyagi asked.   
  
Sakuragi took a deep breath and broke free of Miyagi's grip. He didn't go after Rukawa, though.  
  
Ayako walked towards them. "What happened?"  
  
--------------------  
  
// Do'ahou... //  
  
It had been a very bad night. There was the accident, then he went to the police station for some questioning. He was then brought to the hospital so he could see her, but the doctor barred him since she was in intensive care. His parents somehow got wind of the news and fetched him then brought him home. They were quite worried about him, but said nothing. Afterwards, he slept but only for a couple of hours, then he had to go to school. He was very tired, yet he couldn't fall asleep with much worry and of course, guilt.  
  
// If only I called her, if I said more, then she could've stayed for a while longer. Maybe if I went with her, or followed her...//  
  
// It could never have happened. //  
  
His mind was in chaos, filled with if's and maybe's that he knew were pointless. It was too late to think about what could have happened if he did this and that.  
  
He walked on the busy streets of Kanagawa, feeling the heat of the sun on his skin, and letting all the noise in his ears. He didn't give a damn, though, walked the way to school, letting his physical body lead the way. He kept his gaze to the ground, not wanting anyone to see whatever expression he had on his face. He was thankful that his mom only made him have a haircut every two months, for he grew long black bangs that hid his face.  
  
// If only... if only... cut the crap, Kaede. You know that it's stupid to blame yourself. You couldn't have caused that accident, could you? What kind of logic is that? You didn't talk to her that's why she got hit by a car. Ch. It's that damn driver's fault. He should have followed the damn police. No, it's the police's fault since they were stupid enough not to be able to catch the damn benz. No, it's Shoyo's fault since they didn't let the game finish so easily when they'd lose so badly, anyway. //  
  
// Ch... //  
  
// Fine, it's nobody's fault. Damn that nobody. //  
  
He desperately wanted to blame someone, something for the accident. He couldn't accept that it was mere chance that brought upon such events.  
  
// But she's going to be okay, anyway... She'll be back in two weeks. // He tried to comfort himself. He just couldn't stand the fact that she wouldn't be there during their games in the final four. He didn't know how much impact that would have on him. He didn't know if he'd get distracted or if he'd get motivated. Even he couldn't predict his own personality.  
  
He kept on walking and thinking until he felt himself bump into a person's firm chest. He bounced back and almost fell over, but he heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Teme, kitsune..."  
  
The redhead approached him menacingly, with his fists clenched and his eyes serious, looking deep into Rukawa's blue ones. Rukawa, instead, looked away, and dusted himself. He tried to walk past Sakuragi. Somewhow, he wanted to avoid confrontation with anybody at that moment.  
  
// Am I feeling too guilty? //  
  
"Wait." Before he knew it, Sakuragi's strong hand had grabbed the collar of his white uniform and raised him a few millimeters above the ground. His glaring brown eyes were filled with anger, or so Rukawa thought, and Rukawa knew better than to glare back and mutter some sort of insult as he usually did. He was the one at fault, anyway.  
  
He didn't notice that he had bumped into Sakuragi at a dark alley that was a shortcut to school. It was a small area between two apartment complexes which were both twenty-something floors high, thus blocking much sunlight and noise from the main road. There were several wastes on the ground, mindlessly thrown by the apartments' residents. On the walls that surrounded them were several writings that were of no real sense. It was the perfect place for a street fight and luck had brought both of them there.  
  
  
"What do you want?" Rukawa asked. He had no energy or drive to fight back. He suddenly thought of letting Sakuragi beat him up then let him go. They already had several fights in the past, and most of them were inconclusive. This time, he would let Sakuragi beat him up and win.  
  
// I deserve it, anyway. //  
  
He knew that Sakuragi had a big crush on Haruko, but Haurko liked him instead. And after a fateful turn of events, Haruko became his girlfriend. He at first expected that Sakuragi would fight him or do whatever violent reaction was imaginable, but surprisingly, he didn't. When he heard the news, he became quiet for a few days then acted like nothing happened. He continued with his petty bickering with Rukawa and attempts to impress Haruko.   
  
It was actually something very mature for someone like Sakuragi. He changed. He knew this was what Haruko wanted and respected it.  
  
Unlike him, who couldn't change his cold attitude for her sake. He really deserved a good beating, and Sakuragi was the perfect person to do it. Well, Rukawa knew he'd take a beating from anybody at that moment.  
  
"Teme..."  
  
He waited for Sakuragi to give him a powerful punch on the face. A few moments passed and nothing came. It was obvious that he was hesitant.  
  
// Come on... //  
  
Sakuragi suddenly dropped him on the ground with a soft thud. "I can't do this. Haruko-san wouldn't like it."  
  
// What? //  
  
Sakuragi glared at him, but not with the same anger he had a while ago. "I know it's not your fault. I just want to blame somebody for what happened. I could have walked her home that evening, but I thought she'd be with you, and she'd be fine. But still, I know that I can't blame you, and not myself."  
  
// Do I have to provoke you for this? For once, do'ahou, do me a favor and hit me. // Rukawa realized, though, that they were just the same. They desperately wanted to blame somebody for what happened, but couldn't.  
  
"Get up. I don't want to see your face," Sakuragi said, and turned to walk away.  
  
"Do'ahou." Rukawa couldn't think of any other way to provoke him. He wanted those fists on his face, to send him flying across the ground and hit the nearby wall with some blood staining the pavement.   
  
Sakuragi turned back to him in anger with flaring eyes. "How dare you say that?"  
  
// Gotcha. //  
  
Rukawa looked at him and stared with his usual blank look. He knew that this was the perfect way to agitate him. He waited for the famous 'Teme, Kitsune' line and stood his ground.   
  
"Do'ahou," he said again, and right after he closed his mouth, a strong punch landed on his right cheek and sent him skidding across the ground. He tasted the blood on his lips. His eyes were closed in pain. He didn't expect the punch to be that strong. It left him sitting on the ground. He wiped the blood away.   
  
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Sakuragi was positioning once more for another punch.  
  
// Good. Go ahead. // He sat and glared at Sakuragi. He didn't brace himself or anything and went as uprotected as a turtle without its shell.  
  
"Oi, Hanamichi, stop that!" a familiar voice suddenly said from the entrance of the alley. Both of them looked at where the voice came from and saw Miyagi with Ayako right behind him.  
  
"Ryochin... Ayako-san..."  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Miyagi asked and ran towards them. Rukawa stood up. He hated the way fate played against him. Miyagi and Ayako had to arrive when he was in the perfect time and place to be punished for his ignorance. He gave his sempai a brief glare.  
  
"Ch..."  
  
"What is it, Rukawa?"  
  
He didn't want to talk any further and turned to walk away from them. "I'm leaving."  
  
"Rukawa!" Ayako called after him, but he ignored her and continued to walk. He knew that it was quite mean of him to do that but he just wasn't in the mood. He wouldn't say anything if he stayed, anyway. At the same time, his mind was starting to debate with himself whether he should continue to school or not. He was definitely in shambles and he lacked sleep from last night's events.   
  
He needed a break.  
  
At the same time, maybe he could pay Haruko a visit.  
  
// No way. //  
  
His mind quickly disagreed with the idea. This was not the time, and after what happened, it was impossible that he still had the face to see her. And judging from how she acted towards him last night, he knew that she wouldn't want to see him, too.   
  
// And maybe she never will. She may never want to see me again. Maybe she doesn't want me to be with me anymore. //  
  
// After all, it's my fault. //  
  
// That's right. //  
  
// It's about time. I never deserved her in the first place. I never deserve anybody. I can only live by myself. //  
  
// That's right. //  
  
// And I'm an asshole who doesn't deserve anything at all. Nothing deserves to have me either. //  
  
// Right. //  
  
// And it will all be over in two weeks' time.//  
  
// Surely it will. //  
  
Rukawa turned to the left, in the direction to his house. He walked slowly, keeping the same downward gaze. He could take all the time in the world to get home. There was no need to rush. And then he could go back to sleep and take a full rest before he'd go to the neighborhood basketball court and practice by himself.  
  
As usual.  
  
~Tsuzuku de gozaru yo~  
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	7. The Pride of an Ace

Title: In the Sunshine [7/9]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']  
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.  
  
And credits to the songs that inspired me: "You Were There" by Southern Sons, "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch, "Somewhere Out There" by Our Lady Peace and "Could it be Any Harder" by The Calling.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
  
For this Chapter: I said the last time that I got the whole fic planned out already. Well, I didn't follow the plan for chapter 6, so I had to re-plan the whole thing again. Eniweiz, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did while writing it. I'm starting to get obsessed about writing game scenes. And of course, I hope Sendoh fans will like this installment because he appears during this whole chapter. And so will my Ich-chan. Hana-kun will do so as well and again will be quite serious.   
  
Rukawa's jersey number in this fic is 9. Yes, I know, a boring number, but that's how my count went. Miyagi (4), Yasuda (5), Shiozaki (6), Kakuta (7), Sakuragi (8), Rukawa (9), Ishii (10), Kuwata (11), Sasaoka (12), Mizusawa (13) and so on and so forth.  
  
Translations:  
+ teme - you  
+ sempai - senior  
+ kitsune - fox  
+ do'ahou - idiot, nuts, crazy, asshole, whatever you think is suitable among the crazy translations AXN has.  
+ tensai - uhh... genius?  
+ Sensei - teacher - this is actually the first Japanese word I learned  
+ Hai - yes  
+ Kami-sama - god  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 7  
The Pride of an Ace  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Bright light welcomed her as she first opened her eyes after what seemed to be a long time. First was a white blur, then it became a soft palette with a mix of different shades of gray. She blinked and felt tears well up in her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw a clear image of a white ceiling and bright fluorescent light. She looked around and saw nothing but white walls, white windows, white tables and white chairs around her, and the only thing of different color was the flowers in the white vase on the bedside table. There was also a small TV set hanging on the wall.  
  
// Where am I? //  
  
She was lying on something white and soft, a bed. On her left wrist was a tube with strange liquid flowing through it into her skin. There was a bandage on her right arm and there were also some wrapped around her forehead, or at least that was how it felt. She could only conclude that she was in a hospital room. But why?  
  
The door in the wall opened and came in her mother in a pale orange dress, carrying a grocery bag.  
  
"Mom..." Her mother didn't react at first, then her eyes grew wide with joyful surprise.  
  
"Haruko-chan, you're awake!" She quickly went to Haruko's side and gave her daughter a hug. Haruko felt tears soak the sleeve of what seemed to be a loose, white gown on her.  
  
"Where am I?" Haruko asked with a weak voice. She tried to recall the last thing that happened, despite a somewhat dizzy feeling that went on in her head. She was crossing the street after she had a brief talk with Rukawa, and then...  
  
"You were hit by a car as you were going home from Sekichu Stadium," her mom continued her thoughts, as if reading them. "You were at first in critical condition, but you'll be okay now. You'll just have to rest for a couple of weeks."  
  
Haruko nodded, with her mind refreshed of the events. She then suddenly seemed to recall something. "What day is it?"  
  
"Friday." Her mom laid the grocery bag on the bedside table. "You've been asleep for almost four days."  
  
The light feeling in her head disappeared. "It's been four days?!"  
  
"Well, you were badly hit and all."   
  
"No, what time is it?" She was starting to panic.  
  
"I don't think you need to worry---"  
  
"What time is it?!"  
  
"Ten in the morning." Her mom was puzzled at her sudden hurry. "Why?"  
  
"Today is Shohoku's game with Ryonan! Right now!" She flustered around and tried to sit up. "I need to see it." She fell back to her bed, however, when a wave of dizziness suddenly came over.  
  
"Hush," her mother said with a smile and a slight laugh and took out a remote control from the table. "Miyagi-kun told me so, too. He said it'd be aired. You can watch it."  
  
Haruko sighed in relief and relaxed once more. Her mom pointed the remote control at the TV set and switched it to the local sports channel. Once again, Haruko tried to sit up, but pain in her back forced her to stay in the same position. Still, she saw a top view of the stadium, and saw that the game had begun. Bright colors flashed and sounds of the roaring crowd blared through the TV's speakers. Unconsciously, she searched for a certain person on the screen.  
  
// There he is... Rukawa-kun! //  
  
--------------------------  
  
The crowd was as noisy as ever, and the temperature seemed to be 45 degrees Celsius high. The bleachers were filled with people to the brim, carrying flags colored either red or blue. The lights from the stadium's ceiling glared and made the sweat on their bodies twinkle like little gems. Faint sounds of skidding rubber and bouncing leather on the smooth, shiny wooden floor were somewhat heard, but drowned away with all the shouts.  
  
"Ch..."  
  
That was his fifth missed shot for the day.  
  
It had been five minutes since the game began. The score was 10 to 3, with Ryonan in the lead. Only Mizusawa had scored for Shohoku. Well, it was their fault. They kept passing the ball to him. Usually, that was the best thing to do, but he just couldn't pass Sendoh's tight guard on him easily, and that silly smile on his opponent's face pissed him off much. Well, he was always pissed off with Sendoh's silly smile, but then, Sendoh was never able to steal the ball from his dribbling this much.  
  
Sendoh's hand flashed across his right one again. That was his fourth steal for the game.  
  
"Kitsune!!!! What's your problem?!" a very enraged Sakuragi asked, shouting.  
  
"Ch..." Rukawa right away ran after Sendoh to try and retrieve the ball, but he was already able to pass it to Fukuda. Luckily, Mizusawa quickly covered Fukuda as he aimed to shoot.  
  
"Fake!" Miyagi shouted. Too late, though. Fukuda passed the ball between his legs and ran off to the hoop to make a lay-up. Unfortunately, there was nobody there to stop him.  
  
Rukawa couldn't understand what was the matter with him. He wasn't playing right. He couldn't tell if he was distracted or just feeling down. He knew Haruko was in the hospital, all safe and sound. // She must be sleeping right now. // But then, he couldn't help but still feel guilty about what happened and he couldn't erase the scene of the accident from his mind. It kept flashing everytime he tried to make a shot, steal the ball, or get the rebound.  
  
// I shouldn't let this happen... //  
  
The score was 12 to 3, Ryonan in the lead. Miyagi wiped the sweat on his forehead and gritted his teeth.   
  
// It shouldn't be like this. It's the final four. We have to win this game. // He hoped that all his teammates were thinking the same. Rukawa didn't seem so. Unexpectedly, he was performing so poorly. Aside from being stolen from four times, he missed three out of four shots. Twice, he passed the ball outside, and thrice, he was unable to get the rebound when Sakuragi was surprisingly boxed out.  
  
// What's the matter, Rukawa? // He looked at which of his teammates he could pass to. His first option, ordinarily, would be Rukawa, but he was unreliable at the moment. Sakuragi wasn't a sure one when it came to shooting, while Sendoh was tightly guarding Mizusawa.  
  
// So he's realized a greater threat in our rookie than in Rukawa. // He had to do it by himself. He dribbled faster and looked at his opponent, Uekusa. After a few moments, he rhythmically passed the ball to his other hand then rushed to the left, and then returned the ball to his right hand. He dribbled past Koshino, who, in vain, extended his arms trying to steal the ball, then jumped up and gave a shot from a few inches to the left of the free-throw line. // Get the rebound, Hanamichi. //  
  
Sakuragi didn't need to. The ball went in perfectly. The crowd roared for Shohoku.  
  
"Nice, Ryota!" Ayako shouted.  
  
"Aya-chan!" He gave her a thumbs-up sign, then looked back at the game. At least, the lead was now down to seven.  
  
"That was a good one, Ryochin!" Sakuragi praised as they ran back to the other side of the court to defend. "Not like this Kitsune over here..." he added, muttering.  
  
"Ch..." was Rukawa's mere reply, but he knew that he couldn't agree with Sakuragi less. He was doing his worst that day. For some strange reason, he couldn't pull himself together and get some points or at least keep their opponents from scoring and stealing.  
  
The ball, once again, was with Sendoh outside the three-point line. He dribbled it almost behind him. Rukawa was about to run and guard him, but he saw Mizusawa already doing what was supposed to be his job. It irked him, but he knew that he could be a match for Sendoh at some point.  
  
But it was quite stupid of him to let even his kohai notice his lousy play that day. He didn't let it get to him, though, and leaned back to tighten his guard against Fukuda, whom he knew was anticipating a pass from Sendoh. At the corner of his eye, he looked at Mizusawa.  
  
"Trying to match me, Ichiro-kun?" asked Sendoh teasingly with his friendly smile. Mizusawa narrowed his eyes and crouched even lower as a reply.  
  
// I shouldn't let his words provoke me. //  
  
Sendoh smiled even more, and then jumped. Mizusawa jumped as well, only to realize that his opponent was executing a fade away shot.  
  
"What?!" Mizusawa landed on his two feet and watched wide-eyed as the ball flew across the air. It landed on the rim of the hoop. Sakuragi jumped to get what he anticipated was a rebound, but instead, the ball slipped in and gave Ryonan three points. The noise grew even louder and shouts of 'Ryonan! Ryonan!' could be made out from the chaotic sounds.  
  
"Ten-point lead!"  
  
"Ryonan's amazing!"  
  
"What's the matter, Shohoku?!"  
  
"Don't mind! Don't mind!" Miyagi shouted as he ran with his teammates to attack the other side. // Mizusawa's still too inexperienced to guard Sendoh, while Rukawa's not in his top condition. I should have known...// He knew that they should mind. It was a ten-point lead.   
  
"Ryochin, you're free!" He was surprised to hear Sakuragi's voice and saw that he was right. Koshino was guarding Yasuda. Uekusa and Fukuda were doing zone defense on Sakuragi and Mizusawa. Sendoh was matching up against Rukawa, while their center was under the post. Miyagi was outside the three-point line, though, and he wasn't sure of such a long-range shot. However, this was the only chance. He jumped and threw the ball as accurately as he could.  
  
// Take it or leave it. //  
  
// Get the rebound, Hanamichi. //  
  
As he expected, the ball bounced off and Sakuragi grabbed it in full force with his sweat sparkling in mid-air. Beneath him, Sendoh and Ryonan's center jumped, but not high enough to match the Kanagawa king of rebound. Sakuragi quickly passed the ball to Mizusawa as he landed on the floor with a thud.   
  
Miyagi wanted to scream at Hanamichi for passing the ball to someone who was being matched up against by two opponents. But as soon as Mizusawa received the ball, he dribbled the ball to his left hand, then ran to Fukuda's right.  
  
"He passed both of them!"  
  
He gave a jump shot from beside the painted area.  
  
"That's the spirit, Ichiro-kun!" praised Sakuragi again. He patted the kohai on the back as they ran back to the other side of the court. "Go ahead and score while this tensai passes you the ball! And never pass to that lousy kitsune who lets Sendoh. Nyahahahaha!"  
  
Rukawa didn't mutter his usual 'do'ahou' this time. Miyagi noticed so.  
  
// At least he knows he's not doing right. // Miyagi returned his attention to the game. The ball, this time, was with Koshino, who was dribbling the ball at his right. Yasuda crouched low, then extended his right hand. Surprisingly, he was able to tap the ball away and it flew from Koshino's hand. It was about to land outside until they saw Sakuragi run to save the ball. The redhead grabbed it and tossed it to Miyagi as he landed with his back flat on the ground.  
  
"Oi, Hanamichi, your back!" warned Miyagi worriedly as he dribbled the ball back to offense.  
  
Sakuragi stood up and laughed. "Hahahaha!! This tensai will never be injured again. Nyahahahaha!"  
  
"Nice steal, Yasuda-sempai!" Mizusawa praised and received Miyagi's pass. He once again found out that he was free and was standing somewhere behind the free-throw line. He jumped and gave a shot that landed perfectly inside the ring. The lead was now down to six points: 15 to 9.  
  
There was still eleven minutes left for the first half, plenty of time to catch up with Ryonan and for Ryonan to increase the lead. It was too early to rejoice or to cry. They had to do their best.  
  
Especially Rukawa. Much depended on him. It was obvious that nobody else could stop Sendoh.  
  
Could he? Miyagi wanted to make sure once more. They were on defense. If Rukawa would be able to keep Sendoh from making a shot at that point, Miyagi knew that he need not worry much.   
  
The ball was now with Uekusa. Miyagi tried to swat the ball away from his opponent's hands, but to no avail. Uekusa increased the speed of his dribbling, thus confusing Miyagi, then passed the ball to his left hand which tossed to ball to Sendoh.  
  
// Cut it! //  
  
Unfortunately, there was no one to intercept the ball, and Sendoh easily received the pass with both of his hands. Rukawa was right in front of him. They both stood at the end of the free-throw line. Sendoh began to dribble maintianing constant speed with his hands.  
  
Sendoh smiled at Rukawa again. "Will you be able to stop me this time?"  
  
"Ch..."  
  
Sendoh jumped and posed to shoot the ball. He looked into Rukawa's eyes with a mocking expression.  
  
// Fake? Shot? // Rukawa didn't notice how nervous he had become and jumped as high as he could with his arms raised as if reaching for the sky. He was ready to swat the ball away no matter what. However, Semdoh suddenly lowered his right arm and mid-air, and tossed the ball to Koshino without even looking.  
  
Koshino received the pass then dribbled past Yasuda, who desperately tried to steal the ball as Koshino did so. Miyagi ran in time to block his way, but Koshino tossed the ball and passed it once again to Sendoh.  
  
He had broken free of Rukawa's guard. He was already standing behind the three-point line. He aimed to shoot.  
  
"Block him!"  
  
// Ch... // Rukawa ran as fast as he could to block and jumped raising his arms. He extended his left arm and tapped the ball. Still, the ball went flying across the air. Rukawa watched its trajectory wide-eyed.  
  
// He can't make that shot. //  
  
"Rebound!" Miyagi shouted. The ball bounced off the hoop but even before Sakuragi could jump to get it, the referee's whistle blew, surprising all of them.  
  
"Defensive foul. Red number nine. Two throws."  
  
"Teme, Kitsune! You were supposed to be guarding him," Sakuragi said angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Rukawa. "Well, fine you were but you gave him two free throws."  
  
"Do'ahou," Rukawa muttered as he raised his right hand. He was furious and feeling frustrated. He knew that Sakuragi had no fault but he couldn't release his anger on anybody else. He took a look at Miyagi, who gave him a blank one in return.  
  
Rukawa felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Mizusawa, giving him a conforting smile. "Don't mind, Rukawa-sempai."  
  
// That's my line. // He realized that even the freshman was performing better than he was. Not only was his poor performance bad for the team, at the same time, it was starting to get quite embarassing. It was not that he minded other people's opinions, but then, he still needed to save his face a bit. He actually wanted to praise Sakuragi for living through more shameful experiences.  
  
He knew, though, that he had to break through this. This wasn't him. He could have read Sendoh's moves. He could have intercepted that pass. He was sure he was feeling well, physically. It was his mind that was flying away.  
  
// Maybe it's just the heat. // No, it wasn't the heat.  
  
The scene of ambulance sirens and a certain girl lying on the pavement stained with her blood flashed through his mind again. He felt his heart beat faster and his knees shake at the picture. He closed his eyes and tried to put something else in his mind.   
  
// And you think I'll accept your apology this time? //  
  
// No, it's not like that... //  
  
// IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! //  
  
// Stop it... //  
  
He was suddenly shaken out of his thoughts when he heard the crowd scream loudly. His vision shifted back to stadium and saw Sakuragi holding the ball outside the playing area, looking around with an angry look at his face. Rukawa knew that Sakuragi was about to pass it in. He looked at the scoreboard.  
  
"Ryonan: 17; Shohoku: 9". He realized that Sendoh got both of his free throws in.   
  
// Shit. //  
  
Rukawa dashed to catch up with his teammates and Ryonan running to the other side of the court. He had to score, or else the lead would reach a double-digit and then it would be hard to catch up again. At the same time, he had to make up for the mistakes he made since the game began.  
  
// Just give me another chance. //  
  
As if reading his thoughts, Yasuda passed the ball to him. He received the ball with both hands and then dribbled as he dashed to the hoop. There was no one there. His teammates seemed to have screened everyone else.  
  
// Even if it's just a lay-up. Please, let me get it. // His position was perfect.   
  
"It's Rukawa!"  
  
He jumped, then extended his right arm by the hoop's side. He was about to lay it in the basket when a hand suddenly swatted the ball away. His eyes grew wide with shock, and welcomed the unwillingly welcomed the sight of black spiky hair. Sendoh raised his head as they landed and gave him another smile.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
Rukawa looked at where the ball was. It was in Koshino's hands and was dashing across the court with Miyagi right behind him, ready to steal the ball. Rukawa ran, too and raised his head to widen his view. Koshino suddenly tossed the ball. They didn't notice that Fukuda had already run ahead and was waiting under the basket. He received Koshino's pass and then made a successful lay-up. The crowd roared.  
  
The score was 19 to 9. Ryonan lead by ten points.  
  
"A ten-point lead again! Ryonan's amazing!"  
  
"Yeah, Ryonan!" Sakuragi fumed as he heard the cheers for the other team and at the score being displayed.  
  
"It's all your fault, Kitsune!" The redhead approached Rukawa glaring at him. His fist was posed to make a punch.   
  
"Hey, don't fight, Hanamichi!" Miyagi scolded and tried to stop them. He couldn't blame Sakuragi, though. Although it was quite unbelievable, it was obvious that Rukawa was bringing them down. Still, he couldn't let the opponent see this. Before he could stop Sakuragi, however, the whistle blew.  
  
"Charged time-out! Shohoku!"  
  
Rukawa couldn't accept it, but knew it to be true. All of them walked towards the bench as Coach Anzai stood up. Kakuta stood behind the bench, bending his knees and stretching his arms.   
  
"You're doing very well," Coach Anzai said when they were of talking distance. "But Rukawa-kun, I think you must rest for a while. Don't worry. You'll still play later."  
  
Rukawa knew it. Coach Anzai had seen him being a burden for the team. He wasn't making any points, he let Sendoh steal the ball while he was distracted, he didn't get rebounds, and he wasn't able to make a steal, himself. All he did was run around the court and waste his energy.  
  
"Mizusawa-kun, you guard Sendoh-kun."  
  
"Hai, sensei!" Mizusawa answered, giving a nervous nod.  
  
Rukawa looked away. He couldn't bear this. He was an ace. Never in his life had he pulled his team down. He was the one to make miracles out of desperate situations. He always woke his teammates when they weren't doing well. He always dug them out of double-digit leads.   
  
// I'm an ace, Kami-sama damn it. I'm an ace! // His mind was practically screaming at him.  
  
What had happened to Kaede Rukawa now? Reluctantly, he retreated to the bench and took a seat. Ayako handed him a towel and a water bottle with a smile, which he knew, was fake. He wiped the little sweat on his face and took a sip. He didn't need it. He was feeling restless. He couldn't tell if it was his desire to play or if it was about Haruko.   
  
// Is she okay? What's she doing now? 'Wonder if she's watching this right now. //  
  
// Shit. If she sees me right now... //  
  
// No. It doesn't matter. I'll tell her soon, anyway. //  
  
// Can I? //  
  
"Rukawa," he heard Ayako address him gently and shake him out of his thoughts. "Anzai-sensei's giving you the time to think now. I hope you make good use of this."  
  
"..."  
  
"Haruko-chan's mom just called up. She said that Haruko's awake now. Wouldn't you want to see her later?"  
  
Rukawa gave a slight nod then suddenly shook his head, looking away. He realized that he couldn't even look at Ayako, whom he was very comfortable with. He was too ashamed of himself. It was very unlikely for him to feel this way, for he was always proud. But that was because he had something to be proud of. Now, he virtually had nothing.  
  
~Tsuzuku de gozaru yo~  
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	8. Time

Pardon the late update. I'm making up for it with this very long chapter. Hope you enjoy this, and comments, please. 

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Title: In the Sunshine [8/9]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain'] 

Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration. 

Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me. 

For this Chapter: The decreasing amount of reviews is disheartening. I guess the fic's taking the turn for the worse. And still, the game scene continues. Is it starting to drag? 

Hhhmmm... I just had to place the game to set the mood. And of course, it's the essence of Slam Dunk. I just can't remove it, can I? 

Ich-chan ga tottemo daisuki. Kare wa yasashii hito, desu ne? Mou sugoi. 

Just tell me if you think that I'm tormenting Rukawa too much. Well, there would be worse things for him in 'In the Snow'. I think Rukawa fans would kill me for it. And it's the spirit of this trilogy. Torment Rukawa. Nyahahahahahahah!!! [Naaahhh... I love Rukawa. It's just nice to see him in the dumps 'cause he's almost always on the good side of things.] 

This chapter was two txt files long. Now that's a record.

Translations:  
+ teme - you  
+ sempai - senior  
+ kitsune - fox  
+ do'ahou - idiot, nuts, crazy, asshole, whatever you think is suitable among the crazy translations AXN has.  
+ tensai - uhh... genius?  
+ Sensei - teacher - this is actually the first Japanese word I learned  
+ Hai - yes  
+ Onegai shimasu - please  
+ Yosha - all right, yeah, great 

+ oyaji - old man 

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Chapter 8  
Time  
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Only three minutes remained in the first half and the score was 38 to 28. Ryonan's ten-point lead remained throughout. The crowd screamed all sorts of cheers for the leading team, while Shohoku's bench players and a few in the bleahcers desperately shouted despite being drowned away by the crowd. Rukawa clenched his fists as he sat watching the game, almost gritting his teeth. He had unconsciously crushed the water bottle Ayako gave him a while ago. 

Miyagi was able to make a jumper beside the painted area. The ball went into the ring. The few fans of Shohoku cheered as the players ran back to the other side of the court. 

Sendoh dribbled the ball with his right hand, smiling slyly at Mizusawa. The rookie hadn't baen doing so well in stopping Sendoh. He was skilled and all, but he lacked experience. 

Like that moment, for example. Sendoh merely passed the ball to his left hand, then went past Mizusawa. He dashed to the basket and then jumped when he was right in front of it. 

"A dunk?!" 

Sakuragi, who was right under the post, jumped to stop Sendoh, but he was too late. Sendoh's hands were already in the ring when Sakuragi's hand reached out. Sendoh smashed the ball into the basket with a clashing sound and the crowd roared while Sakuragi tumbled down the floor upon receiving such force. The lead was back to ten. 

That was how the game went for the past eight minutes. Whenever Shohoku would score, Ryonan would do so, as well, making up for the lost lead quickly. It was starting to become monotonous for most of the audience, and frustrating for Shohoku. 

If only I were in the game... Rukawa thought to himself, but suddenly disagreed. He'd only bring the team down. 

Oh, great, and now, even my confidence is shattered. Oh just great. 

The game continued. The ball was once again with Miyagi and was dashing quickly across the court. Rukawa could read that he was planning to penetrate through Ryonan's defense and score through a lay-up by himself. It was the best thing to do at the moment since all the others were being guarded too tightly. If they attempted to break free, it would use up too much of their energy and even before the second half. 

Uekusa quickly stood in Miyagi's way, but Shohoku's team captain swerved his body to the left and went past Uekusa with the ball secure in his hands. Fukuda ran to stop him, but Miyagi was too fast. He was finally close enough to the basket to deliver a shot. Instead of doing a lay-up, however, he decided to make a jumper, so he could release the ball right away. 

As he released the ball from his hands, however, Sendoh suddenly appeared in front of him slapped the ball away. 

The hell? Loud gasps were heard from the crowd as the ball landed in Koshino's hands, who in turn, dashed quickly, hoping for a fast break. Yasuda ran beside him. They both stopped outside the three-point line. 

Is he going to shoot? Yasuda thought nervously as he saw Sendoh and the other Ryonan players fast apporaching. Koshino suddenly jumped. 

It's a fake. Sendoh was only less than a meter away, ready for a pass. Yasuda stayed firmly on the ground. 

Koshino gave a small smirk then released the ball into the air. 

"What?!" All of them watched the ball fly across the half-court and make its way to the hoop. Sakuragi, beneath the post, pushed Fukuda back to assure his possession of the rebound. However, the ball went in the ring and gave Ryonan three more points. The crowd roared even more, as if it couldn't be contained in the bleachers any longer. The score was already 41 to 28, with two minutes left in the first half. 

Rukawa clenched his fists. It shouldn't have been like this. 

Sakuragi threw the ball in and gave it to Miyagi, who dribbled it with moderate speed. Again, all Shohoku players were tightly guarded, except for him. Ryonan was quite smart, for they knew that he wasn't much of a scorer. At the moment, they only had one on court, and that was Mizusawa. He couldn't risk passing the ball to him and have Sendoh steal the ball. At the same time, they needed someone to bring the lead down to at least one digit. He had no choice. 

"Pass! Pass!" he heard Yasuda call him. Miyagi knew that it was a distraction to make the opponent believe that he was going to pass it to Yasuda. Miyagi then threw the ball to Mizusawa, who was standing a few inches in front of the three-point line. 

Mizusawa received the ball with both hands. Sendoh waved his arms around and tried to steal the ball, but Mizusawa stepped back, then jumped. He was attempting a three-pointer. Sendoh jumped to block the shot and his left forearm touched Mizusawa's right one, making him land on the floor hard with his back. The ball was still released, however. 

"Rebound!" he shouted. Sakuragi, Kakuta, and Fukuda crouched beneath the hoop and watched tensely the ball landing on the side of the hoop. After what seemed to be a minute, which was actually a moment, the ball slipped in. At the same time the referee blew his whistle. 

"Basket count. Defensive foul. White number 4. Two throws." 

"All right!" Sakuragi shouted and gave Mizusawa a high-five. "Follow the spirit of the tensai, Ichiro-kun!" 

"Thanks," Mizusawa said with a humble smile and jogged to the free-throw line. 

"This isn't good," Sendoh muttered to himself as he stood his position. 

Mizusawa posed behind the free-throw line and made his first shot. The crowd was silent and tense, nervous on whether he could make it. Mizusawa released the ball, and went on what seemed to be a perfect trajectory, resulting into a perfect shot. The crowd gasped then cheered. 

"Nice, Mizusawa!" Ayako shouted from the sidelines. 

Once again, he posed, then released the ball. The players crouched low and prepared to get the rebound, just in case. Still, the ball went in with a swish. The shot elicited the loudest cheers Shohoku had since the game began. 

"Yosha!" This time, both Sakuragi and Miyagi gave him a high-five. The score was now 41 to 33, the lead was down to eight. 

"Amazing! That guy scored five points conscutively, all by himself!" From the corner of his eye, Miyagi saw the coach of Ryonan grit his teeth. He could tell what was on Taoka's mind: "Why didn't I get such a rookie?" Miyagi wanted to laugh. 

Shohoku maintained the eight-point lead throughout the first half. The score was 45 to 37. At least, it was below ten, and there was hope that they'd do better and take the lead in the second half. The players jubilantly went into the locker rooms excitedly chattering about what happened, what was happening, what would happen. Mizusawa received praises from seniors and freshmen alike and joined in the excitement. However, Rukawa followed alone a few paces from behind. 

He was glad that the game had improved, Shohoku had brought the lead to one digit and they were now getting spunky for the second half. Things were looking bright. His only complaint was that, he wasn't playing. He knew that it would be better if he stayed in the bench at that moment, but he wanted to play. He wanted to hold the ball in his hands, and dribble it while dashing across the court. He longed to jump and lay the ball in the hoop or dunk it with full power. Or maybe grab it falling from the basket into his hands. He couldn't stand just sitting there, watching the game in other people's hands. 

He wanted it to be his game. He was Kaede Rukawa, not some other bench player. He clenched his fists and gazed on the floor, trying to contain his anger and frustration. 

"Rukawa-kun," he suddenly heard Coach Anzai's soft voice from behind him. The whole team turned to look at them. 

"Hai, sensei?" 

"You'll be playing in the second half." 

Some members gasped, while others just grew a shocked look on their faces. They were speechless for a moment, until Sakuragi walked towards them angrily. 

"Oyaji, you can't let this sick Kitsune play in the game! He'll just let that smiling asshole steal the ball." 

"Do'ahou!" Miyagi called to him. He wasn't very sure about Coach Anzai's decision, either. However, to take the lead, they needed to get more points, and only two people in the team could do that. One was Mizusawa, but if he took the whole load of scoring, he might fall out and leave the game before it would end. The other was Rukawa, who didn't seem to be in top condition. It was quite risky to let him play. However, these risky things Coach Anzai always did were usually blessings in disguise. He just had to agree. 

"Arigatou, sensei," Rukawa bowed and thanked the old man respectfully. He saw from the corner of his eye Sakuragi glare at him. He glared back. 

I'm going to show that do'ahou... Ch... They used the remaining minutes in half-time to take a good rest and rejuvenate their energy for the rest of the game. They discussed strategies and other related topics, but what remained throughout was a hopeful mood that Shohoku would win. 

Once again, the players were back on court. The crowd cheered upon their appearance, the sounds grew louder when they saw Rukawa return. 

"Welcome back," Sendoh greeted him with his usual sly smile. Rukawa gave his trademark 'ch' in return and then took his position. Sendoh stood right behind him and crouched low. 

The referee walked to the center of the court with Sakuragi and Ryonan's center. Both players positioned for the jump ball as the referee blew his whistle then tossed the ball up in the air. The two players jumped as high as they could, but Sakuragi prevailed and swat the ball into Miyagi's hands. Miyagi caught the ball then ran dribbling to the Ryonan basket. There were two players to welcome him and block his way. 

Damn... he thought, then looked for a person he could pass to. He decided to try Caoch Anzai's decision and passed the ball to Rukawa, who was standing beside the painted area. Quickly, one of the players who blocked him went to Rukawa. 

Zone press? 

Rukawa gripped the ball with both of his hands and glared at both of the players who blocked his way. Sendoh merely smiled at him, while the other, Koshino, kept a tense look. Rukawa crouched then raised the ball above his head. 

This is my chance. I can't waste this one. 

I once had the chance to become the best basketball player in Kanagawa, but I let it go. 

I am not going to let it go. 

"No, don't shoot yet!" Miyagi called. 

"It's a fake," Sendoh muttered to Koshino and both of them stayed firmly on the ground. However, Rukawa jumped and relased the ball from his hands. The crowd gasped at his forceful play, but then, the ball went in the ring giving Shohoku two more points and bringing the lead down to six. 

"That's Rukawa!" 

Both teams rushed to the other side. The ball was with Sendoh again. He dribbled it somewhere near his back, trying to keep it away from Mizusawa's hands. To his right, Miyagi stood anticipating whatever his move would be. He knew he couldn't shoot, but Uekusa was free. Sendoh tossed the ball without looking to Uekusa. 

Uekusa ran to receive the pass but a pale hand flashed right in front of him and caught the ball to his surprise. Rukawa quickly passed the ball to his right hand and dashed to the other side. 

"Fast break, Rukawa!" 

Unfortunately for Ryonan, there was nobody quick enough to catch up with him. He ran as fast as he could, feeling the slashes of air against his face. The crowd cheered around him, however, all he could hear was his own heartbeat and the sound of the ball bouncing against the floor. There was no one to stop him. He jumped and raised his right arm high, gripping on the ball, then slammed the ball into the hoop with full force. The smashing sound resonated throughout the stadium and it played like music to his ears. 

This is the life. This is my life. 

"K-k-k-kitsuneeee!!!" Sakuragi shouted jealously, red with anger. "Stop hogging the ball!" 

"That was great, sempai!" 

Being the silent person he was, he walked on without giving a sign of acknowledgement to his teammates' praises. He looked around the sidelines for approval from Coach Anzai, and the old man nodded at him. He moved his gaze further to the left, where Ayako waved at him jubilantly. He continued, and then found something missing. 

It was her, her smile. It was missing. It was always there whenever he played. And when he knew he did something that was quite out of the ordinary, her smile would be there to approve of it. Why wasn't her smile there? Why wasn't she there? 

Do'ahou. She's in the hospital. 

The scene once more flashed in his mind, then it disappeared. 

Ch... he thought to himself. Now was not the time to get distracted. There was an important game at hand and he had to do his best. 

Concentrate, Kaede. You're doing this for her, too, aren't you? 

That's right. You don't get the right to see her until you win this game. 

And you will. 

Fukuda received Sendoh's pass, however, Sakuragi was quick enough to block his way. Desperate to widen the lead, however, Fukuda forced his way through and tossed the ball. 

It's too early! Mizusawa thought as he jumped and grabbed the ball as it bounced off the board. He looked for somebody to pass to, but everybody else was tightly guarded. However, he was relatively free. Rukawa's return to the game caught Sendoh's attention, and he was left with Ryonan's center to guard him. He easily swerved to the left and passed by. 

"Stop him, Sendoh!" they heard Taoka shout from the sidelines. Sendoh left Rukawa and ran to stop Mizusawa. As he arrived in front of the rookie, the ball was passed to Miyagi, who dashed to the other side. Beside him, Rukawa ran and awaited the pass. 

"Here, Rukawa!" Miyagi passed the ball just as Koshino arrived to block him. Rukawa ran then jumped and did a lay-up with Sendoh and another Ryonan player just about to jump beneath him. 

"Four more points to go!" Miyagi shouted to encourage his teammates and went into a defensive stance. Coach Anzai was right to let Rukawa back into the game. The coach must have seen that Rukawa was once again ready to play. He just hoped that he would keep the same spirit throughout. If Rukawa let himself get distracted again like in the first half, then their counter-attack would fail. 

Uekusa passed the ball to Koshino, who was tightly being guarded by Yasuda. Miyagi deicded to shift his attention there, and guarded there. They had to stop all Ryonan offensive at that point. 

"K'so," the Ryonan guard muttered and passed the ball back to Uekusa. Quickly, Miyagi moved back to block Uekusa. Uekusa jumped and released the ball into the air. Miyagi jumped and tapped the ball lightly as it went out of Uekusa's hands. 

"Get the rebound!" 

As expected, the ball bounced off. Sakuragi jumped up with the others trailing behind him and grabbed the ball. He threw the ball to Mizusawa as he landed. The crowd cheered. There was no one to block him, so he dashed to the other side. When he reached the three-point line, however, Sendoh came and stood in front of him. The smile on his face was gone. Mizusawa knew it was too risky to try a shot with Sendoh seeming that serious. He saw Rukawa at the corner of his eye running towards them. Mizusawa passed the ball to his sempai. 

Sendoh ran towards Rukawa who was posing to shoot while standing outside the three-point line. He was quick to arrive in front of Rukawa and jumped up to swat the ball away, but Rukawa instead passed the ball back to Mizusawa. The rookie quickly jumped and threw in a three-pointer. It was a risky shot, since it was executed in haste, but it landed in safely. 

The score was now 38 to 37, three minutes after the second half began. The crowd was roaring for Shohoku to take the lead. 

Coach Taoka sat with a frustrated look from the sidelines. He was annoyed with the fact that four players had turned his invitation down for them to go to Ryonan in favor of Shohoku. 

Rukawa once again looked at the sidelines, expecting a warm smile to meet his gaze. 

Where is it? 

Again, there was none. He reminded himself that it was not the time to think of such things and he had to do his best at the moment without thinking of her. 

Do'ahou. 

Sendoh received Uekusa's past and sped by Miyagi and Yasuda easily. Miyagi realized that Sendoh was beginning to play more seriously. He was taking the game into his hands. Miyagi needed to leave it to Mizusawa, Rukawa, and Sakuragi to stop him. 

Mizusawa stood in front of Sendoh, who in turn, gave him a sly smile. Sendoh threw the ball to the floor and it landed between Mizusawa's legs. Sendoh then ran past him then took the ball as it bounced from the floor. 

"What the hell?!" 

Sendoh jumped to give a shot under the basket. However, Sakuragi jumped and swat the ball away from his hands as he raised the ball above his head. 

"No way!" 

The ball went flying to the outside line. 

Rukawa chased after the ball and saw that a Ryonan player was already right behind him to do the same. The other one was catching up quickly with him as the ball flew over the white line and into the sidelines. 

I won't let it go. I won't. 

Rukawa jumped and desperately reached for the ball, stretching his arms wide open. He felt for the leather and after a few moments, his fingers made contact with it. 

I won't let her go. I won't. 

And at the worst of times, the scene flashed back in his mind. The night sky lay above them while her body was sprawled along the pavement, with her own blood staining the asphalt, her skin, and her clothes. The sounds of sirens and voices whirred like a blurred pallette in his ears as he watched the scene in horror. Her eyes were closed, and if without the blood, she seemed like she was sleeping peacefully, dreaming about only Kami knows what. From behind, the paramedics ran as fast as they could. They went to her side and tried to give immediate treatment to her wounds and deduce her current condition. 

He felt himself about to fall. However, he tapped the ball in with all he could, hoping the ball would land safely in a teammate's hands. He then fell hard, hitting the cold wooden floor, but that wasn't the end of it. His body skidded and he felt the friction between his skin and the wood. He tried to curl up and protect himself from whatever would hit him on the floor, but it was too late. He looked up and saw the wall right before him. 

Before he could even cover his head, however, everything, the sounds of the game and the sight of the wall turned into a blur. A few moments passed, then everything went black. 

---------------------------- 

"Please turn it off, Mom," Haruko said sourly and looked away from the television set. 

"Don't you want to watch it, honey?" her mom asked her. 

"My head's starting to ache," Haruko lied as her mother took the remote control and clicked to turn it off slowly. 

Haruko couldn't stand the sight of it. At first, he was playing so poorly, then he was subbed out of the game. When he got back, he was starting to play so well, then it happened. She never expected that to happen, and if she continued to watch, she might get sick with worry. 

I'm worried about him because he's my teammate. It would be hard for Shohoku to win without him. Or so, she told herself. She knew there was more than that. She wasn't worried for him as a player, but as a person she cared for much. She tried to deny that, but her head started to ache. 

What would happen to him? He hit his head, it's more dangerous than what happened to me. 

I shouldn't worry about him like this. She realized that if she continued to think of him that way, she wouldn't be able to go on with what she planned. The whole thing they'd been having for a month would continue with its ruthless cycle and she'd continue to get hurt. 

It would probably be a bad time for him, but it's for the best. 

"Do you want anything, Haruko-chan?" her mom asked her, noticing that she was deep in thought. 

"Mom, can I have a pen and a piece of paper?" 

"Sure, darling," her mom said, puzzled at the strange request. She walked towards the door and went out, seeming quite unsure. 

This is it. Goodbye, Rukawa-kun. 

------------------------------ 

"He's waking up!" Ayako's voice suddenly sharpened the blurry shapes that were slowly forming in front of his eyes as he awakened. He squinted them into narrow slits, adjusting to the bright light that suddenly came, replacing the darkness that he last saw. He moved his head around slowly and saw that he was lying on a low bed topped with a thin, soft matress in the stadium's clinc. He could tell by the sea-green coloured walls and the cream-tiled floor. To his left, Ayako stood with a relieved look on her face. 

"What happened?" he unconsciously asked, softly. He tried to recall the events. The last thing he could remember was trying to save the ball from getting outside then a wall about to hit him. 

That must be it. He must have hit his head on the wall and went unconscious. 

"How many minutes has it been?" he followed-up without waiting for the answer to his previous question. 

The team manager, at first, couldn't speak, since she didn't quite expect that Rukawa knew what happened to him. "Well, you hit your head on the wall..." 

"I know. Is the game finished?" He didn't mean to be impolite, but he was anxious about the results. 

"W-well, no... There are still around three minutes left." Ayako told him with a slow tone in her voice, then scolded herself in her mind. She shouldn't have said that. Rukawa will surely want to play. And as expected he raised his body slowly. 

Rukawa felt his arms shake as they supported him up. Everything around him whirred like what happened earlier. Ayako gently pushed his shoulders back to the bed. 

"Stay there, Rukawa. The doctor said you had a light concussion. You can't play now." 

Rukawa snarled and pushed Ayako away with the force of his broad shoulders. 

Ayako only watched him in shock and saw the intense glare of determination in his eyes. However, she still managed to say something. "It'll be dangerous if you play now. What if something even worse happens? Then you wouldn't be able to play again? Do you want that?" She tried her best to return the glare. 

"Ch..." Rukawa started to wobble towards the door. 

"Kaede Rukawa!" she shouted. She searched through her mind to say something that would possibly hold him back. 

Rukawa stopped stood in the doorway and glared at her again. It always worked, but he knew he had to intensify that glare. Fighting with Ayako like this was dangerous. Not only was her deadly paper fan there (she probably wouldn't hit him now that he hit his head), he also had to maintain his respect to his sempai. She was right, too. If he tried to play, he might suffer worse results. 

However, he wanted to see her badly. He promised himself that he wouldn't see her until HE won that game. He couldn't leave it to Mizusawa or some other teammate to bring Shohoku to victory. He had to be the one to do that. It was a way to wake himself up and prove himself worthy of her. 

Ayako finally found her punch line. "You want to see Haruko-chan later, don't you? What if you get really hurt, Rukawa? If your condition gets worse, then you might end up in some hospital unconscious or something like that. You've done enough. Trust your teammates. They'll win this game." 

Suddenly, words poured out from Rukawa's mouth, something he never expected before. He had done unexpected things in the past. He surprised people and gave those shocked looks in their faces. 

"I'm doing this for her. I promised myself that I won't see her until I win this game." With that, he left the room, leaving a shocked Ayako inside the stadium clinic. 

------------------------------------ 

Miyagi dribbled the ball, feeling the tension in the air. There were only two minutes left in the game, and the score was 77 to 76, with Ryonan in the lead again. The crowd was wilder than ever, with a larger fraction cheering for Ryonan. The points they gained earlier in the second half kept the lead below five through the past fifteen minutes. Rukawa's amazing play raised Shohoku's spirits and led them to play better and stand against Ryonan. 

That's an ace. 

Still they needed to break Ryonan's lead. 

A loud cheer suddenly came from the audience. The all-too-familiar Rukawa Shinetai's voices rose above the shouts. 

Rukawa had just entered from the doors, with sweat falling all over his face, panting. He caught Miyagi's gaze and stared into them. 

I'm going to play, the stare told Miyagi. The team captain wanted to stop him, but he just couldn't go out of the court and talk Rukawa out of it. 

Caoch Anzai sat on the steel chair, looking at Rukawa. He adjusted his glasses. From behind, Ayako came running. She had resigned to letting Rukawa play. 

If Ryota was in the same situation, I know he'd do the same for me, she thought with a smile. 

"Are you all right now, Rukawa-kun?" Coach Anzai asked with concern. 

"Hai, sensei," came the curt answer, contradicting with his heavy panting and the sweat flowing like waterfalls on his forehead. Even the short walk from the clinic to the court gave him a hard time. Silence followed, then he spoke again, and bowed low to the old man, with obvious humility. "I want to play, sensei. Onegai shimasu." He bowed even lower. 

He had never bowed so low before, with all the pride he had. Yet, he was desperate, and the situation was worth it. 

Caoch Anzai kept quiet. Rukawa wanted to nag the old man. Time was running. He had to get in the game before it became too late. He looked at the situation from the corner of his eye. 

The ball was with Sakuragi. He shot a jump shot from underneath the basket. It went in before anyone could even block his shot. The score was now 78 to 77. Shohoku had taken the lead. Now, all they needed was to maintain it. 

"Rukawa-kun..." It was obvious in Coach Anzai's voice that he didn't want Rukawa to play. He didn't want anything dangerous to happen to any of his team's players. After all, it was only a game. 

"Onegai shimasu, sensei!" The voice had a low volume, but it was determined, forceful, and respectful at the same time. 

"Okay. Just be careful, Rukawa-kun." 

The referee blew his whistle. "Member change. Shohoku." 

Rukawa's entrance into the court drew in loud cheers from the audience, thrilled. Kakuta ran back to the sidelines and excahnged a high-five with Rukawa. 

"Gambatte, Rukawa-kun. And be careful." 

He gave his usual cold look and jogged into the court. Mizusawa gave him an eager smile while Sakuragi started blabbering about Rukawa hindering the team. Miyagi, on the other hand, approached him with a serious expression on his face. 

"Don't push yourself, Rukawa." 

"I can do this." 

Only one minute and 10 seconds remained. The goal now was too keep Ryonan from scoring at all costs. Koshino threw in the ball to Uekusa, who dribbled it a few meters then passed it to Sendoh, barely escaping Miyagi's hands. 

Sendoh crouched low and welcomed the sight of Rukawa in front of him. Knowing that his opponent was injured, Sendoh wanted to make it easier for Rukawa. He could have done so if it was earlier in the game and they were in the lead. But he couldn't risk it. He had to play his best even if it seemed quite cruel. 

Well, at least he wouldn't be insulted. This is the least I can do, Sendoh thought then dribbled the ball behind him. 

Rukawa moved his arms around to steal the ball from Sendoh. With every effort, he felt his energy drain away and his head swirl. He could faint at any moment, but his determination was stronger than ever. 

I'm going to win this game. 

Sendoh realized that Rukawa's guard was too tight and passed the ball back to Koshino. He was lucky that Rukawa or anyone from Shohoku wasn't able to intercept the pass. Koshino took the ball with both hands and gave a jump shot from beside the free throw line. The ball went in but not without rolling about the rim of the basket. Ryonan was in the lead once again. The sounds of the cheers and the shouts grew even louder. 

Miyagi received Yasuda's throw in and tried to observe which teammate he could pass to or if he should try to score by himself. However, Uekusa came to block his way. He nervously glanced at the clock. There were only 40 seconds left. He knew only two people who could reverse the game at such a moment: Hisashi Mitsui and Kaede Rukawa. The latter one was give him the familiar 'pass it to me' look. Miyagi had no choice. He had to risk it. 

Rukawa received the pass and dribbled it low away from Sendoh's prying hands. He wasn't smiling anymore. 

It was time for forceful play. Rukawa jumped, despite the spinning feeling in his head. Sendoh jumped to block the shot, but Rukawa had jumped a bit backward: a fade-away shot. He released the ball and sent it flying into the basket with a swish. The crowd roared. Shohoku had taken the lead again. The score was 80 to 79, with 30 seconds left. Victory was almost at hand. 

After releasing the ball, Rukawa felt his world swirl around once more. He landed on the floor with a thud flat on his back. This elicited gasps of concern from the audience. 

He lay on the floor, panting, with his eyes shut tight, feeling the cold floor against his sweaty jersey and back. It was difficult to breathe and his head was aching and spinning like crazy, as if it was splitting in half. He heard vague shouts of his name coming from everywhere. He managed to open one eye and saw the referee approaching him. He knew that the referee was going to get him out of the game. He quickly gathered every ounce of his strength left and stood up. 

"Can you continue?" the referee asked him. 

Only thirty seconds left. "Yes." The referee stared at him before blowing his on whistle to signal the game to resume. Rukawa wobbled to take his position in front of Sendoh, just a meter away from the basket. He tried to concentrate, but his head began to spin once more. 

No... 

He could just resign to the bench at that moment. He could leave the rest of the thirty seconds to his teammates. But he didn't want to. He couldn't just watch victory come to them. He had to fetch it from wherever it was and bring it there with his own hands. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the right to see her. He wouldn't be worthy. He wouldn't be able to make up for whatever mistakes he had in the past. 

I am going to win this game, he repeated the mantra in his swirling head. Despite the pain and the dizzy feeling, the thought was the only one that prevailed. He couldn't lose his concentration at that moment. 

He raised his arms and moved them around furiously, blocking all paths from which Sendoh could shoot or pass. He suddenly felt his knees falter. Sendoh used this opportunity and jumped high in the air. He was aiming for a dunk. The crowd held their breaths. 

Fifteen seconds. 

Jump, Kaede! Jump! His head pained him, but his determination overcame it. All he thought of was to win the game. He felt adrenaline rushing through him. He pushed his knees and jumped, feeling the air speding across his face. He raised his arm, gritting his teeth, enduring the pain, pushing his body to its limits. 

Take the risk. Never let it go. 

I once had the chance to become the best basketball player in Kanagawa, but I let it go. 

Now you have the best girl you can ever dream of... Would you let her go? 

I'll never let go. 

He pushed the ball away from Sendoh's hands with full force and sent it flying away. The clashing sound between the leather and his sweaty skin resounded throughout the stadium, rising above the crowd's noise. 

Seven seconds. 

Six... 

He landed, panting and sweating heavily, on the floor on two feet. He looked at Sendoh, who was looking at him with a shocked look on his face. 

Five... 

Rukawa's world started to spin once more. He felt his left knee falter, followed by his right. From the corner of his eye, he saw Miyagi furiously keeping the ball away from Koshino and Uekusa's hands. 

Four... 

Miyagi passed the ball to Mizusawa, but Fukuda intercepted it. He jumped and released the ball in haste to make a point, standing on the three-point line. All the people in the stadium gasped and held their breaths as the ball went flying across the air. 

Three... 

Rukawa watched the ball as his knees hit the floor. 

Two... One! 

The ball bounced off the hoop upon the sound of the buzzer. The audience shouted. Shohoku's team members jumped in joy. Miyagi ran towards Ayako and gave her a hug. Sakuragi gave Mizusawa a gentle push at the back in praise. Coach Anzai laughed. It was the sweet spirit of victory that they had all been yearning for. 

They suddenly heard a sharp thud. Rukawa had fallen on the floor. His teammates quickly came to his aid. Sakuragi, to everyone's surprise, came first and grabbed him and helped him up. 

"You did a great job today, Kitsune. But not as great as this tensai, of course." He laughed out loud as he helped Rukawa to the bench. Rukawa didn't say anything and submitted to the 'tensai's' help. Ayako hit Sakuragi on the head with her paper fan. 

"You won the game, Rukawa," she said with a grin. "We'll go there and see her later." 

It was indeed victory. Almost drowning away Ayako's voice was the loud cheers from the crowd, overwhelming them with the fact that they won. On the other side, the Ryonan players stood, looking at Shohoku. Sendoh smiled, while some other players cried. 

Rukawa nodded to Ayako then closed his eyes and slowly. Everything around him disappeared as he fell into deep slumber. He was going to have the best dream of his life. 

~Tsuzuku de gozaru yo~  
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	9. Dreamless and Sorrowful

Oh, damn. Two weeks late. I mean, how late can you get? I hope you'll pardon the tardiness and continue with your generous reviews. This is the ending. I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed 'In the Rain' and the past installments.  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Title: In the Sunshine [9/9]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: The bright summer days have come, but some seem to have brought the rains back. [Sequel to 'In the Rain']   
  
Notes: 'Just thought that 'In the Rain' needs a sequel, and some RL events gave me inspiration.   
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.   
  
For this Chapter: The ending, at last! Kill me for it if you must.   
  
I was hoping 'sunshine' would beat 'rain' in terms of review count. Well, I know 'rain' is still my best fic to date, but I was hoping 'sunshine' lived up to it. However, it'd be quite unfair to 'rain' since this has more chapters, meaning theoretically, more reviews.  
  
And there's still 'snow', the grand finale to this trilogy, which I'll start writing by mid-January, the actual time setting for the fic. I'll finish my pending HXH fic first.  
  
Bearbugg's is not a typo. It was deliberate.  
  
And belated happy birthday, Rukawa! I know this isn't a good birthday gift for you... That is, if you really like Haruko. ^_^   
  
Translations:  
+ Gambatte - good luck, do your best  
+ Hai - yes  
+ Ara - some sort of interjection expressing surprise, shock, or such. This is like 'ay' in Tagalog, 'ai-ya' in Mandarin, or "Ooh lala' in French. *snickers*  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 9  
Dreamless and Sorrowful  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
The Kanagawa Shopping Center was a busy sight that Saturday. Due to the agonizing pains of the sun, the people resorted to the mall's free air-conditioned environment. Every inch was occupied by at least one person, and anyone can rub arms with anybody, exchanging sweat in the process. The sales ladies went crazy with catering of the demands of the shoppers. One particular victim of the crowd was the ice cream shop, where flocks of children, angels and brats alike, pleaded their moms for ice cream to fight the heat. The noise didn't help very much, either.  
  
Rukawa stood in front of Bearbug's, a gift shop specializing in stuffed toys particularly bears and bugs. His tall figure gazed down the toys at the window, deliberating which one he should get. There was quite a handful of people in the shop, some purchasing gifts for the Tanabata Festival coming in a week.  
  
// The bear or the bug? //  
  
// Pink or blue? //  
  
He was perfectly fine. He had fully recovered from yesterday's injury. The doctor told him though to take full rest for the next week, meaning he could go about ordinary activities except for those that required much physical exertion, like basketball. He had no choice, but then, they were only having one important game for that week. He also realized that it was about time that he trusted his teammates.  
  
Except for the task at hand.   
  
It was early afternoon. He slept through the whole morning, and when he woke up, he decided that it was very much about time that he visited her. He was about to ride the train to Kitamura General Hospital, when he saw the shopping center. He realized that it was quite rude to go see someone in the hospital without bringing something so he went and tried to dig something out. For some strange reason, he had saved up enough to buy something decent.  
  
And to come think of it, with the one month they had been together, he had never given her anything. Oh, she had given much. Every other day, she brought him lunch. Maybe that was why he had enough money. Sometimes, too, she brought him cookies she baked during the weekend. It was usually food, but women were good at that, weren't they? So when the idea of bringing a cake came along, he decided against it.  
  
Walking around the mall, he came upon Bearbug's. He usually saw that guys gave girls stuffed animals on special occasions. He was never the one to follow such a trend, but he lingered on outside the shop, gazing at the displays, thinking what she would like.  
  
// There's nothing wrong if I buy one, right? //  
  
He went inside to look at more products. One particular toy caught his eye. It was that of a white stuffed dog that looked quite realistic. With his little knowledge of dog breeds, he realized the toy to be an imitation of a Japanese spitz, with chinky eyes, soft, long fur and short legs with an eternally cheerful expression on its face.  
  
// Cheerful, huh? //  
  
// Rukawa-kun, let's go home. //  
  
// Gambatte, Rukawa-kun. I know you'll win. //  
  
The image of her smiling face falshed across his mind, with eyes sparkiling at him, like that of a child when he sees his mom buying him candy.   
  
// Not really perfect, but this would do. //  
  
"Will you purchase that item, sir?" a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. The sales lady gave him a look that told him to hurry up. They wanted transactions to finish as quickly as possible, with the rate of customers entering the store.  
  
"Yes," he answered quietly and went to the counter, but not without bumping into several people.  
  
"That would be 3,400 yen, sir. Thank you and come again to Bearbug's!"  
  
----------------------------------  
  
"Ara! Rukawa-sempai!"  
  
Rukawa looked in the direction of Kitamura General Hospital's entrance and saw Sakuragi and Mizusawa leaving the premises. Both of them were looking at him with blank looks with Mizusawa having a little tint of surprise. Mizusawa approached him with quick steps.  
  
"Sempai, are you here to see Haruko-san?" he asked. Sakuragi followed up close behind while pretending to look in another direction, his red head raised, and looking into the street.   
  
Rukawa nodded and tried to hide the package he brought. It was likely that Mizusawa would ask him questions, and so would Sakuragi.  
  
"Ara? What's that package for, sempai?"  
  
Rukawa glared at Mizusawa. He didn't want to be mean to his kohai. He just wanted to keep the guy from asking questions. Mizusawa took the cue and quickly changed the topic with a very sheepish smile on his face. Sakuragi continued with his pointless gazing into the street. Rukawa looked at him with the corner of his eyes, waiting for him to say something. He guessed that Sakuragi still hadn't forgotten last week's fight despite the fact that they had gotten along quite well during the last part of yesterday's game. Rukawa wanted to forget the whole thing, but he had too much pride to apologize.  
  
"She's quite fine now, sempai," Mizusawa spoke.  
  
"Thanks." Rukawa nodded to Mizusawa as a sign of acknowledgment of the information. He then walked past the two of them, trying to maintain the distance bwetween him and Sakuragi at the maximum. It was best to avoid him right now, with the way he acted.   
  
The hospital doors opened, just a feat of modern technology. Inside, there were a lot of people, though slightly less dense than those in the mall earlier. There were those running around across the white marble floor while some just sat on the blue old-fashioned sofas on the far corner of the room. Beside the entrance was the receptionist sitting beside a blue table piled with papers and a small phone placed somewhat lopsidedly beside the mess. The woman behind the table had a sweet smile on her face, trying to offset the dirty table.  
  
"Yes, may I help you?" she asked Rukawa, who approached in big, quick, steps.  
  
"Akagi Haruko's room, please."  
  
"Oh. Room 475, sir. You may use the elevator to your right, sir."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
That was the second one. The second 'thanks' he said for that day. He usually didn't say that word, and usually felt awkward upon saying it. Maybe because he really didn't value other people's efforts much before. Now, it seemed to come naturally to him.  
  
// Have I changed much? //  
  
On the way to the elevator, a tall, glass mirror stood. As he passed, his own reflection caught his gaze. He glanced at it for a second, but a million thoughts came by quickly.  
  
He still looked the same. He still had his pasty white skin and his messy black hair. There were still his small blue eyes and the same small nose and closed lips. The perpetually blank look on his face seemed to plan to stay there for the rest of his life. He was still him, Kaede Rukawa, or at least, in the mirror. But still, he knew that he had changed. Maybe it was because of her, or maybe he was bound to change sooner or later. He wanted to know.  
  
The elevator door opened, and Rukawa stepped out with a soft sigh. Room 475 was to his right and he approached the said direction. With every quick step, he felt his heart beat faster again, his lips getting dry and his face with cold sweat. It was very unlikely of him but he was quite eager to see her. Even if she had only been gone for four days, he wanted to see her as if she had been gone for a month or longer. And this time, he knew that he really, truly deserved this visit.  
  
Room 475. He opened the door. The sight of the all-white room welcomed him with a fresh scent of flowers from inside the room. The bed was on the far side of the room, its direction parallel to the entrance. On it, there she was, sitting up, with a blanket covering half of her gown-clad body. She was gazing off into space. She seemed to be deep in thought and when she heard him make his first step into the room, she looked up sharply with a surprised look on her face.  
  
"Rukawa-kun..."  
  
--------------------------  
  
// He came. //  
  
Haruko didn't know what to say. She didn't expect him to come. She saw what happened at yesterday's game. Although Ayako had called up a while ago and told her that everything was okay, she still didn't expect him.   
  
And besides, she had written that letter already. It lay on her bedside table, sealed in a envelope, waiting to be opened, to be read.  
  
// Will I give it to him? //  
  
The question burned in her mind. It occupied her so much that she didn't notice that Rukawa had come to her bedside, with the letter only a few inches away from him.  
  
"How are you?" he asked softly, almost without a tune, but with a very small hint of gentleness he rarely showed.  
  
"Quite fine," she answered flatly, trying to act as coldly as possible.   
  
"That's good."   
  
// Does he have anything else to say? //  
  
He raised his left arm and then carried up a package that she didn't notice he carried when he went in earlier. It was wrapped in white paper with designs of small pink and violet flowers scattered around it. Rukawa handed it to her as she gently squeezed parts of the package and tried to feel what was inside. It was something soft, but she couldn't quite guess what it was.  
  
"What's this?" she asked, with her flat tone starting to disappear in eagerness.  
  
"A present."  
  
"Thanks..." her voice gently trailed off as the package lay in her lap. She gently peeled the scotch tape off the wrapper and gently pulled the contents of the package out. It was a stuffed white dog, with long fur, chinky eyes, a long nose and small, pointy ears. It had a cheerful expression on its face, which made it quite cute. She put the wrapper aside and gazed at the stuffed toy. At the corner of her eye, she looked at the envelope on her bedside table.   
  
She had decided yesterday. However, things seemed to go against her plans. There was nothing actually, except for herself. Upon seeing his intense gaze on her once again, all the thoughts that came to her yesterday, both rational and irrational, disappeared into a whirl.  
  
It was the first time that he gave her a present. Not that she was into material things or anything as such, but then, it was the thought, the effort that got into her. It was unlikely of him to do this, having known him for quite some time already.  
  
// He's changed. //  
  
Ayako's words rang throughout her mind. She was right. Haruko didn't need any more proof of it. If he really had changed, then maybe their relationship would gradually turn better. Maybe he'd eventually open up and stop becoming the cold person he is. Maybe he won't be late every morning. Maybe he won't oversleep and forget about lunch. Maybe he wouldn't fall asleep during the train ride while she's talking like before. Maybe...  
  
There were so many maybe's.  
  
How can she be so sure that he's changed. After all, there was still his silence, and his very few words, much less than what the situation called for. There was no sign of concern or relief on his face. It was the same, like a cold carved stone painted with pale colors.  
  
He was still Kaede Rukawa.  
  
But that was who he really was. Who was she to change that? She knew that she should learn to accept that he'd always be like this: cold and quiet, always with a mystery that she'd never know. It was what drew her to him in the first place. Now that she had a first-hand taste of it, she couldn't accept it. She wanted him to change, to be different. Then, he would be someone else.  
  
And that was all wrong.  
  
If she couldn't accept him the way he was, then what's the use of staying with him? She was only getting hurt, and he was getting hurt back. Nothing was going right.  
  
She had to stick with her decision.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Rukawa was happy that he was finally able to see her.   
  
// Happy... //  
  
He gazed at her sitting on her bed gazing blankly at the gift he brought for her. Watching her like this, seeing her all safe and sound, made him quite contented. Almost everything was well, except for one thing: // she // didn't seem happy. Ever since he had arrived in her room, the only thing he saw on her face was a blank and distracted look. There was not her usual, cheerful smile that he longed for and missed.   
  
"Is anything wrong?" he asked quietly. She had been silent for some time already, which was very unlikely of her.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Thanks for this," she answered with an obviously fake smile, waving her hand in attempted apology.  
  
He continued looking at her, telling her with his stare that he didn't believe her answer. There was something else between her lines. She was hiding something from him, and the fact was keeping her deep in thought. He badly wanted to know what it was, or at least, assure himself that it wasn't something bad.  
  
"Don't you like it?" he asked again. It wasn't like him to ask so many questions. It was usually the opposite. For the first time, though, he couldn't bear her silence.  
  
"Oh, I like it very much," she answered a few moments later. The blank expression on her face remained.  
  
"I see."  
  
// Silence. //  
  
The silence in the room was deafening, giving the air a tense feeling. For some strange reason, he was starting to feel nervous (although he really didn't show it) as if something terrible was going to happen.  
  
Something was going to hurt him. It was coming soon. He was never the intuitive type of person, but for some unknown reason, he felt it. He still wasn't regretful that he came to see her, though. That was what he wanted. He just tried to ignore his thoughts.  
  
Haruko suddenly spoke and broke the uneasy silence. "I have something for you, too."  
  
She slowly reached out to her bedside table and took the envelope that had been lying there. Rukawa had seen it when he first came in, but he thought that it was of no importance. Haruko took his left hand, and gazed at it, as if avoiding his own one.  
  
"Read this when you get home. Please. And try to understand."  
  
He didn't know how to react. What did she mean?  
  
Haruko squeezed her hand. She was acting so strangely. She then gave him somewhat a guilty smile. "I think I need to go to sleep now. I'm starting to feel quite dizzy."  
  
"Sure," Rukawa answered, quite unsure of his self. He offered to help her lie down, but she gently pushed his hands away and laid her body with much effort. He watched her close her eyes, and her face once more was the same one he saw on the night of the accident. This time, he watched not in horror, but with a feeling he couldn't explain: quite nervous he was, yet happy. He watched for a few more moments, trying to carve into his mind the image, then he turned for the door. He folded the envelope in half and placed it in his pocket with much confusion in him.  
  
A few minutes later, he arrived at the park a few blocks away from the hospital. There were only a few people, for the sun was at its hottest there. It was good for him. At least, he can read it in peace, without any noise disturbing him except for the soft rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds. A gentle breeze blew, sending a few grains of dirt flying around. Curiosity and confusion was killing him. What was in the envelope? He decided to take a look now and sat one of the distant benches. He carefully opened the flap of the envelope and gently unfolded the piece of paper inside. It was a letter, in Haruko's handwriting, which was a bit wobbly. It must have been written while she was on her bed.  
  
Rukawa read the contents of the letter not missing a single character or space. He didn't understand a thing. He read it again, still he couldn't understand what it meant, as if his mind and heart had become numb to perceive what was written. For the third time he went over it.  
  
He quite understood, but he didn't. Or rather, he couldn't accept it. But he had no choice. If he chose not to accept it, things might become worse. He tried to tell himself that at least she was with him for a month, and that was enough blessing.  
  
// Do'ahou. Stop lying to yourself. You can't accept it. //  
  
He stood up, folded the letter, replaced it in the envelope and placed it back in his pocket. He slowly walked away from the park. He wanted to go home and sleep as soon as possible. He had many had a lot of things to think about for the rest of the day, something that can be only answered by his thoughts in sleep.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Haruko opened her eyes as she heard the door click. He had gone, at last. She gave a heavy sigh of relief. She was able to do it. She was finally able to give him the letter. It was about time. She knew that, but still, a part of her scolded her for giving it to him, telling her it wasn't the right time, yet, and that she should give him another chance. But this time, it was too late. He was already gone.  
  
And maybe forever.  
  
She had wanted it ever since she met him, but she had to let go.   
  
// It's just the right thing to do, Haruko. //  
  
The white stuffed toy lay beside her. Haruko gazed at it for a while, and felt that it was looking back at her. Just earlier, she thought that it was smiling at her, but now, it's face looked different. It was sad, as if crying to her, telling her about something she shouldn't have done. The dog's bright chinky eyes seemed to shine with tears, its pointy ears drooping down.   
  
// What is this? //  
  
She avoided looking at the dog and then gazed out the window.  
  
// It's just too late now. I've given it, already. //  
  
// You can call him up, Haruko. You can tell him it's not real. //  
  
// No, it's just right that you gave it to him. He made up for his mistakes too late. //  
  
// It's never too late for anything, Haruko. Never. //  
  
// But it is. The guy must be reading it right now. And even if you try to take it back, he won't forget what you wrote there. It'll be marked on his mind that you attempted to do it. //  
  
// Haruko, he will forgive you. You've always forgiven him for the mistakes you've done. Of course, he'll do the same. //  
  
// No way. He's still the same, cold person. He may forgive you but he won't forget. //  
  
// He won't forget YOU. That's why he came here. He still hasn't forgotten that he still has something left to do. He still hasn't forgotten you. He cares for you very much. It's just his nature that he doesn't show it often. He's just being himself. //  
  
// He's just being himself. Why can't I accpept that? He accepted me for who I am. That's what's most important. Why can't I do the same? Why? //  
  
// Why? //  
  
Slowly, tears formed around her eyes. She tasted the salty drops in her mouth, and swallowed them bitterly. She took the stuffed toy in her hands and buried her face in its long, white fur. She didn't try to stop her tears, for she knew that she truly did something wrong. She wanted to run after him and take the envelope back, but it was way too late. Even if she was able to take it back and he wasn't able to read it, he'd be wondering what's inside, and everything might go wrong again. If only she had known...  
  
// Why did I have to do it? // She was filled with self-pity, anger, remorse, sorrow, and other biter feelings that split her spirit into pieces, leaving her in pain. She realized that she had been more hurt than ever. And to think of it, it wasn't him who hurt her, but herself: for being the careless person she was.  
  
She continued to cry, leaving a dark spot in the toy's fur. It was already late in the afternoon when she was finally able to cry herself to sleep, with her arms tight around the gift he gave. As Haruko closed her eyes, everything turned black, leaving her into a dreamless and sorrowful slumber.  
  
~Owari degozaru yo~  
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End file.
